Family Isn't Blood, It's Who You Love
by The Last Element
Summary: Ten years ago; Lyra left her loveless home and Tor'ka the dragon awoke from his 800 year slumber. Since then they've been together and hiding. When Monger takes Tor'ka Lyra's fight for his freedom soon becomes a fight for the future of humanity. LinkxLyra
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

"_The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed." _- Carl Jung

Tor'ka slowly opened his heavy eyelids and released a long yawn as he was finally pulled from his healing sleep. It felt like he had slept for ages and he wondered how much time had truly passed. Opening his eyes fully he almost lost his breath; he was surrounded by dirt as if buried alive. He shifted his massive body back and forth and found that he was completely encased.

_The cave must have collapsed_, he reasoned as he shifted a bit more.

The dirt didn't seem that hard to move, it'd be nothing for him to crawl through the dirt to the surface. A huff of annoyance escaped him as he began to wriggle and claw his way to his freedom.

~~~*~~~

Lyra Rivers growled angrily and kicked another can out of her way as she stormed her way through the local park. The cobblestone pathway scuffed her already dirty white sneakers and she kicked a rock out of her way.

She hated him. She hated him more than anything she had ever hated. He had torn their family apart. And her mother hadn't helped. Lyra's eleven year old body coursed with rage and she slammed her backpack harder onto her shoulder as her eyes tried to burn holes in the pathway. Tears stung at the corners of her eyes and she stumbled her way deeper into the park. Walking here by herself in the middle of the night was not the best idea she had ever had, but she couldn't have stayed in that house one more night.

She kicked another rock in her way and sent it flying into a tree with a loud 'thunk'. The tree vibrated with the noise and began to shake rapidly back and forth as the ground beneath her rumbled. She froze in place afraid to move or even breathe. Had she really been strong enough to break a tree? Her thoughts fled as the ground beneath the tree swelled and cracked. The tree fell to the side as the swell became more animated and grew even higher.

Her eyes widened and her scream pierced the air as she fell to the ground and the dirt fell away from the swell to reveal a creature of myth and magic. An enormous black dragon emerged from the fresh crater in the in soil. It let out a massive yawn that sounded much like a roar and stretched its wings as far as they could go letting the dirt and dust fall from them. It was a magnificent creature to behold. Its shoulders were huge and muscular with large powerful arms that ended in sharp clawed hands. Its upper body seemed very similarly shaped to that of a man's only much more exaggerated with muscles. Its abdomen narrowed drastically into a small waist that revealed well muscled thighs as it pulled the rest of its body from the hole. Though its hind legs were a good deal shorter than its front, at least half the length, they were still thick with muscles and accented with horrifyingly sharp claws. Its wings must've been at least fifty feet from wingtip to wingtip and webbed with a grayish leathery flesh. Its neck was long and muscled like a snake, leading to a strong jawed head. The head pulled forward to a blunt point that snorted out smoke with each breath, and at the back of its head where one would expect ears were two sharp horns that had jagged bends in them like twigs. Its entire body was thickly coated in black scales that armored its body; even its underbelly was protected. Its long tail lashed out behind it in irritation as it shook its massive body trying to relieve itself of the dirt that coated it.

"Oh…my…god…" she whispered as the creature towered above her.

Hearing her voice the dragon bent its head down until its bright blue eyes were staring directly at her from her own level.

"Child, what year is this," it bellowed curiously.

Lyra almost lost her voice at hearing the creature talk but held onto it at the thought of being burned to a crisp for not answering him. "It-It's 2009," she stammered.

It seemed to consider this as it pulled its head away and her breath was pulled from her lungs. The full moon above the park was a perfect background for his majestic form.

"Wow," she breathed.

Terrifying as the situation was it was also amazing. She finally stood up without removing her gaze from the magnificent being before her. "You're a dragon aren't you…like a real dragon!"

The creature scoffed lightly letting out a puff of smoke. "Of course I am; what a foolish question. One might think you'd never seen a dragon before."

"I haven't," she blurted out in confusion.

The dragon froze. It couldn't be. The humans from his time…had succeeded? He had been mortally wounded in a battle for his life when the humans decided to overthrow the dragons. Though both races had lived in peace for years the humans began to fear that they were the weaker of the race and had sought to kill all the dragons. Apparently while he was sleeping they had won.

"So I'm the last one…" he murmured in sadness. Though he'd be able to live for a few thousand years he would eventually die and with him his race would end forever.

Lyra's eyes softened and she took a few steps forward to place a gentle hand against his arm. "It's okay," she offered.

He turned to look at her and seemed to see her for the first time. She was a very young girl, maybe only a decade old with huge green eyes that seemed to have stories written deep within. Her face was soft featured with a small nose and round little pink lips. Silken hair the color of sun-faded hay fell neatly around her face and just past her shoulders. He could tell she would be very beautiful in time. Her thin adolescent body was draped in pure black garments. A thick long-sleeved shirt with a hood coated her upper body while a pair of unflattering pants hid her legs. The only things not black were the dirty white shoes on her feet and the small brown satchel that hung from her shoulder.

The girl offered him a hopeful smile that he just couldn't deny.

"My name is Tor'ka," he offered quietly unable to think of anything else to tell her at the moment.

Her smile brightened. "I'm Lyra!" She could not help but giggle in excitement, all fear completely gone from her being. She was talking to a dragon, a real live dragon. And he was talking back!

Tor'ka nodded and pulled to his full height as he spread his wings preparing to take off. "I wish you all the best Little Lyra."

"You're leaving?"

"I won't stay here in this place. If I am to survive for as long as I can I will need vast forests, things to hunt, and much less civilization than there appears to be here." He gazed out at the buildings and the noise beyond the trees that sheltered the park.

"Take me with you," she demanded foolishly, her cheeks puffed out in determination.

"You don't know where I'm even heading," he reasoned almost with a laugh.

"No, I don't," she said as the tears started to return to her eyes. "But if I just keep walking here it doesn't matter how far I get sooner or later someone will find me and then I'll be right back where I started. And I don't want to be there ever again!"

He cocked his head at the girl in curiosity. She couldn't be young enough to be making it on her own yet; perhaps she was being forced to marry as many of the women of his time were. "I think you're being foolish," he told her frankly.

"I am not!" She stomped her foot like the child she was a glared at him. "Take me with you!"

Just like the child she was her moods seemed to swing without regard and she was determined to have her way. However he could not justify taking this human girl with him. He held no grudges against their kind for what they had done; it was no fault of the people here now. But the fact of the matter was, she was still a child with raging feelings. She was too young and far too emotional to understand the importance of her request.

"I will not," he told her firmly as he turned his back to her. He had decided that this park was too closed in for a safe take off; he'd need to find open ground first. "You would only burden me, and I don't believe you understand what you ask. Go home to your family."

Her began his walk away from the small child who frowned fire into his back. She threw her backpack down in anger and began to throw rocks at his massive retreating form. They bounced off his hide and she swore she could've heard him chuckle.

"I hate you!" she screamed at him.

With his long strides it did not take long before he was out of sight and she was left by herself scowling into the darkness. That massive monster had been her one shot at true freedom; she wouldn't be able to walk very far and she knew that no self respecting adult would sell her a ticket to go anywhere. A crackling in the bushes interrupted her thoughts and she spun around. Her eyes glanced nervously from bush to tree and back again but nothing moved. She knew there had been gangs around this area lately taking whatever they could from people stupid enough to walk by no matter their age. She had nothing of value and no money; so there was only one thing left that she did have that they might want. A whimper escaped her lips and she began to run.

~~~*~~~

Tor'ka wondered where he could go as he pushed his way through the few trees in the park. It had to be somewhere with plenty of foliage or caves for him to hide within and preferably somewhere with a lot of larger animals. Unfortunately he had no idea where he could find any of these things and he wasn't sure how long he could last in this world without them.

Lost in his thoughts he almost missed the small scream that could've curdled blood. He froze in his steps. True, he didn't know the girl at all but not turning around didn't sit well with him. He had come from a time when chivalry was everything and he still believed in morals. He turned around to make his way back to where she had screamed and hurried his pace a bit due to his slight nervousness. However that tension boiled into rage when he saw her again. A man many times her senior and size held her off the ground by her wrist cackling into her face while two others his size watched. He was pressing a metal object against her stomach that he was slowly using to lift up her shirt. Though Tor'ka couldn't quite make out what the object was it didn't matter. He knew what that man was about to do and the tears on her face were more than enough to fuel his rage. He bellowed a roar and watched as all three men noticed him with horror in their eyes.

"Jesus Christ!" The man holding Lyra let out a scream of his own before throwing her to side and aiming the metal object at Tor'ka himself.

A loud bang echoed in the park and Tor'ka felt a searing pain in his shoulder. He released another roar of anger laced with spark and flame. Without hesitating all three men bolted from the clearing and judging by the smell left behind Tor'ka guessed one of them would need to change his pants. Ignoring the pain above his arm he bent his elegant neck down to Lyra who had yet to rise and nudged her lightly with the front of his snout.

"Lyra, are you alright?"

In an instant she had flipped around and latched her arms in an awkward hug around his muzzle. "Thank you!" She buried her face against him. "I was so scared I didn't know what to do!"

"As long as you're fine now," he reasoned, his voice slightly muffled from not being able to open his mouth wide enough to properly pronounce the words. Using her grip on his face to his advantage he moved his head in an attempt to help her to her shaking legs. She nearly collapsed again when she let go of him but managed to regain her balance on a second attempt.

"Thank you very much," she breathed again. "For coming back for me."

"Think nothing of it," he replied.

Lyra noticed him wince as he straightened up. "You're hurt," she said as she rushed to get closer to his leg.

"It is nothing I'm sure," he told her. It would not take long for the wound to heal as it wasn't very big but it stung greatly and he wondered what exactly had happened.

"You got shot," she whined on the verge of more tears.

"Shot," he confirmed.

The idea had not occurred to him. In his time the only weapon capable long range damage was either a catapult or and bow. He had never seen such a contraption before and he stared at his wound in curiosity. Though in dragon years he was only young adult he had been around for hundreds of human years and in that time had developed a thick hide strong enough to reply any arrow. When he had been defeated it had taken many humans to weaken him before they could properly stab one of his joints. (Joints are a dragon's only weak part due to the fact that they are the only place armor can't build up because that would be too restricting of its movement.) However this metal contraption had fired something that had pierced his armory hide like it was nothing.

She nodded while examining the wound. "The bullet might still be there; can you lift me up so I can see it?"

"Bullet?" He tilted his head in confusion but lowered it regardless so she could step on top of his head.

She was careful to avoid his eyes and step directly onto his forehead between his horns. His raised his head and she struggled to keep her balance with the awkward movement before placing her hands against his shoulder. Lyra squinted as she tried to make out the details in the low light; luckily the lights from the city were bright enough for her to see the glint of metal just beneath his dirty scales. It hadn't pierced the skin very much so it would be easy for her to get it out.

"This will be weird but I need to get it out," she told him.

Tor'ka nodded and she placed her mouth against the wound so that she could suck the bullet out. It came out almost instantly and she stuck her tongue out in disgust at the taste.

"Got it," she said with a smile and she leapt to the ground and held out to show him the bullet proudly.

"That is a bullet?" His brow furrowed. "This insignificant little thing was what irritated me? _This _pierced my armor?!"

Tor'ka nearly howled in rage and frustration. What sort of world had he awoken to? Despite himself a small growl escaped his muzzle. It seemed though he had once been a reputable warrior now he was no greater than the creatures he himself used to hunt. The human being has risen quite far in a few years and it seemed that if he wished to survive this time he could never be seen by humans again. This wound may have been small but what's to say they didn't have any bigger weapons to create bigger wounds?

"You don't know what a bullet is?" Lyra asked curiously.

"You seem to underestimate how old I truly am," he told her as he straightened his neck again. "There were no such weapons in my time."

"Then let me come with you," she demanded her voice a sudden serious tone that made her sound years older than she really was.

His brow ridge arched curiously at her. "And what makes you think I'll have changed my mind?"

A spark seemed to ignite in her eyes as if he had just asked the perfect question. "Because you need me," she replied smugly as she straightened up and rapidly whiped the tears from her face with the back of her arm. "You don't know this world like I do. You don't even know where you could possibly hide, but I do. Right now we need each other. I need you to take me away from here, and you need me to teach you about this new world."

Her words were very logical and well spoken for someone of her years, Tor'ka thought. But she was right. Whatever her reasons were for leaving home they were none of his concern, and he did need someone to teach him these things. He wondered how wise it would be to take such help from a child but he then considered her words just then.

"You're very smart for your age aren't you," he said with a slight smirk.

She smiled at him. "I'd like to think so. It's probably because I read a lot."

"And you really believe you're smart enough to help me?"

"I do," she replied without hesitation.

He nodded kindly to her. "Then I believe we are in agreement, Miss Lyra."


	2. 1: Provocation

**Chapter One – Provocation **

"_There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls" - George Carlin_

Another shock went through Susan's body pulling at her muscles and causing her to suddenly spasm uncontrollably. Her head jerked to the side and her eye twitched rapidly as her legs shook and her arm launched out making full force contact with poor B.O.B. who splattered against the wall of their 'living/dining room'. The spasm ended a moment later.

"Oh, sorry B.O.B," Susan said as she winced at the impact.

B.O.B slid off the wall and pulled himself back together while giving her the best frown he could.

"I'm sure the twitches will stop soon," she offered him with a sheepish smile.

"Okay!" he agreed happily as his face suddenly brightened and he made his way back to the table where he and Link had been playing Go Fish again.

All of the monsters were more or less loitering in their own respective fashions. Link and B.O.B were playing their usual game of cards while Insectosaurus, even though now a butterfly, still cheated on Link's behalf. Doctor Cockroach was tinkering with his newest attempt to shrink Susan while she simply watched the card game while occasionally trying to help poor B.O.B out. Her spasms were the result of the Doctor's latest scheme as the electrical charge he had used still coursed through her body. Though she had come to love being Ginormica she couldn't help but miss a few things that she used to do when she was normal sized; just the simple little things like going to the movies and trying new cooking recipes. Though she could try her best to do both with her new size it just wasn't the same. And proper hugs, she dearly missed those. It was no secret however that Doctor Cockroach had his own reasons for trying so hard to shrink Susan. His feelings had been revealed on more than one awkward occasion when he would blurt out something embarrassing. Susan found it cute how flustered the poor genius got and couldn't help but admit she found his perseverance endearing. Despite that though she wasn't quite sure she was ready to try yet another method today; she wanted to make it back to her room in one piece.

Despite the fact that the monsters had been given their freedom they found themselves drawn to stay at their home in Area 51 with the privilege of coming and going as they pleased. Though most people appreciated them saving the world there were still some that didn't and it was very strange for them to try and fit in with normal society.

With a sudden 'AHA' the Doctor pulled away from his machine and turned to Susan. "My dear I know our last attempt was a little…unfortunate, but I do believe I've solved our little problem!"

She opened her mouth ready to tell him as kindly as she could that there was no way she would be tricked into licking a wire a second time but was interrupted when Monger's voice echoed through the room.

"Monsters we've got another problem!"

She breathed out a huge sigh of relief for the distraction and everyone turned to face the general and he strode proudly past the large metal door.

"Now I know you all just returned from fighting Escargantuan a few days ago but we've received a report of yet another monster. Who's up for a trip to Cuba?"

"I'm in," Susan replied quickly. It may not be the way she had imagined but she was traveling the world.

"Me too," Link announced as a large grin crossed his face.

"Me as well," added Doc. "So what are we up against?"

"We call it," he paused for dramatic tension, "Dragon."

Cockroach tilted his head to the side in curiosity. "Why would you give it a name like that?"

Monger hesitated slightly before continuing. "'Cause it's a real live scaly skinned fire breathing dragon that's why! Or at least that's what our witness tells us. We heard rumors spread through a small Cuban village the other day when a nature photographer came through screaming like a banshee wielding a slightly blurry picture of the monster."

"Well what are we waiting for?" The Doctor asked in defeat.

~~~*~~~

"Why does there have to be so many trees everywhere?!" Link was furious after getting hit in the face by yet another tree branch. B.O.B seemed to have a talent for getting stuck on them only to let them fly back and whip Link at warp speed when he wasn't paying attention. Getting hit with another branch Link finally just snapped it from the tree and tossed it behind him. Unfortunately that didn't really solve the problem of the branches ahead of him.

"It's a forest Link, that's what it's made out of," Doctor Cockroach replied as he rolled his eyes.

He was leading this half of the search party while another waited patiently elsewhere in the forest. The plan was apparently for Link, Doc, and B.O.B to locate the dragon using a small device that Monger had given them. It worked by connecting to a government satellite that sent out a signal to the little device every time it detected movement in the forest from anything the size of an elephant or larger. All the doctor could do is hope it wasn't the 'or larger' part. Luckily though when they found it their job was to stay out of site and use the device to send their coordinates to Monger who was waiting on the sidelines with Susan and a helicopter or two of tranquilizers and nets.

Doc winced as he heard the sound of yet another tree branch connecting with Link's stomach. "Don't worry Link I'm sure we're almost there," he said in hopes of assuring the Missing Link and keeping him from having another outburst.

Luckily before Link could argue the transmission device beeped urgently and flashed a new location which wasn't too far from the last transmission they got. In fact it had barely seemed to move at all; and was only a good mile ahead of them. Signally for them to be quiet the Doctor led them silently through the trees for a few more minutes until just up ahead he could see the beginning of a small area where the sun beamed proudly onto a clearing. They lined up just at the tree line and their eyes widened in amazement at the creature resting comfortably in the clearing. The massive black dragon was slightly bigger than a fully grown elephant in body size alone, not counting the elegantly long neck or enormous wings. Right now it lay quietly in the sun soaking up the heat with its neck raised off the ground while it stared into the trees away from them thoughtfully.

"No one make a sound," the Doctor hissed as he sent their coordinates to Monger and Susan.

B.O.B seemed to look thoughtful for a second before speaking up. "Well if we don't say anything how are we supposed talk to it?"

He oozed his way out of the tree line with Link and Doc whispering in a horrified manner for him to stop.

"Hi there!" he said happily causing the dragon's head to turn quickly to him as it rose to its feet.

It made the most befuddled look anyone was sure a dragon could make upon seeing a talking blue blob with one eye smiling at them.

"What are you? What are you doing here?" it demanded, its body tense with apprehension.

"I'm B.O.B," the mutated tomato replied happily before a blank look crossed his face. "I don't remember why we're here…"

"We?" The dragon hissed out angrily as flame swirled between its razor sharp teeth.

Doc and Link ran from the bushes to their friend's aid ready to push him from the path of the fire. Luckily the flames never came as the dragon had to leap to the side in order to dodge the large net that splattered the ground where it had just been standing. Rage and a slight fear filled its features as it snarled at the approaching helicopters.

~~~*~~~

Lyra rubbed her temples to clear herself of her growing headache and she trudged back to where she knew Tor'ka would be waiting. She had just left the only village anywhere near the large forest they had both taken residence in ten years ago. She had received plenty of coin for the skins that she had brought to the village and had decided that her and Tor'ka had enough supplies to last them at least a week so she return then with more furs and make her purchases then.

She peered through the sunglasses she had stolen from a tourist at a small pool of water she was about to pass. She hesitated and frowned slightly as she strode towards it. She casually reached up to pinch the arm of her glasses and her vision blurred into shades of yellow and red as she stared down the pond. Though she hadn't finished school and lacked the basic knowledge that many at the age of twenty-one should have she was still a certifiable genius. Using her inventiveness she had fitted the sunglasses with parts from a stolen laptop and a toaster in order to create glasses that would allow her to see by heat. This came in very useful in a jungle where there were many places for deadly creatures to hide. She especially appreciated them when she was anywhere near the rivers because she was desperately paranoid of the crocodiles she knew were just below the surface. She saw nothing below the surface or in the bushes. Switching her glasses back to normal she cocked her head to the side in confusion; she could've sworn that she had seen the water shake. She stepped closer to the puddle with her nose wrinkled in curiosity. Her face wavered as sudden ripples tore through the water and a shrill roar pierced the air.

"Tor'ka," she breathed in horror as she spun around at his cry of pain.

Lyra bolted through the forest ignoring the branches whipping against her arms and legs; she didn't feel any of it. Her only thought now was Tor'ka and what could possibly make him feel pain. Her boots barely seemed to touch the ground as she wove between trees and around many poisonous plants and snakes. Though she had ran there in the matter of a few minutes when the journey would usually take her a half an hour to walk. She didn't even register the burning in her legs as she skidded to a halt just before the tree line. Her eyes welled with tears as she shook her head in disbelief and mouthed a small 'no'.

~~~*~~~

Doctor Cockroach hadn't even realized how exhausted he was until he had collapsed onto the ground breathing heavily. Link wasn't sitting too far away in the same condition and B.O.B seemed as though they hadn't almost been burnt to death.

"You stupid idiot," Link breathed out heavily as he swung a loose fist through the blob.

Monger and Susan had arrived just in the nick of time. Monger's soldiers had managed to pin a net on the dragon while it was busy trying to bite off one of Doc's antennae but that only solved half the problem. It had instantly tried to fry them all with a blast of flame that nearly took down the forest with it. It took Susan to pinch its mouth closed so that the flame would stop long enough for Monger to get a clear shot at it with the tranquilizer. It took five shots to pierce its hide and when it finally closed its eyes they chained its muzzle shut so that it couldn't choose to burn them all once it awoke and they tied the net around it to keep its wings pinned to its sides.

"Good work monsters," Monger congratulated. "We'll take Dragon in the plane with us to keep an eye on it, the helicopters will follow closely in case of an emergency."

Susan carried the sleeping behemoth into the plane as the other monsters followed her and Monger on board. Doc looked over at Link curiously as his fishy friend shivered suddenly.

"It's not quite that cold in here Link," the Doctor stated.

"I know that," Link replied before rubbing his arm nervously and looking at the slumbering dragon before looking around. "I just got one of those sudden feelings like something is going to go horribly wrong"

And the furious blonde wrapped around the leg of one of the helicopters would have agreed whole heartedly.


	3. 2: Loss of Freedom

**Chapter 2 –Loss of Freedom**

"_If you want to be free, there is but one way; it is to guarantee an equally full measure of liberty to all your neighbors. There is no other."-Carl Shurz_

"It doesn't have any signs of mutation," Doctor Cockroach reasoned thoughtfully. "But then again it could easily have been created by merging the common lizard with altered genetic strands at birth."

Insectosaurus let out a loud quaking bellow punctuated with a snort as she leaned into the conversation.

"Insecto is right," Link announced with a nod. "There are tons of stories that date dragons back hundreds years ago, it could be a real dragon."

"Oh! OH!" B.O.B chimed in as he smiled happily and 'bounced' up and down. "Maybe, maybe, he's some sort of mutated tomato!"

Link and Doc let out a synchronized sigh before Doc kindly corrected, "No B.O.B that would be you."

B.O.B's face dropped as he looked at his friends in a very confused manner. "But if _I'm _the tomato then who's the giant lady?"

"That would be me B.O.B," Susan answered with a small laugh.

The team was in Area 'Unmentionable's common room discussing the possible origins of the dragon they had just captured. Captured…Susan frowned slightly at the thought of that word. She remembered her first day in here and the breakdowns she had had each night for the next week. She had been imprisoned here and it hurt her greatly to do the same thing to another creature. Though her and her friends had freedom to come and go as they pleased as long as they helped protect the earth she doubted that Dragon would receive the same privileges. But she knew that she had to do it; she had to bring him here. There were too many risks at leaving him out in the world. They had no idea how hostile Dragon was towards humanity, though she was sure that the fight he had put up wouldn't bode well for him.

Doctor Cockroach looked over and saw Susan's thoughtful expression as she seemed to stare past everything in front of her. He knew that her thoughts were the same as his and he wondered how well everything would work out.

~~~*~~~

"Now Dragon I'm only gonna ask you one more time, where did you come from?"

The dragon snarled angrily and hissed sparks at the general, its mouth bound too tightly to spout any flame. It wasn't sure that it could even pronounce any words if it wanted to, however it didn't really matter because it had no intention of talking nice with its captors. It thrashed its tail viciously in its metal prison only able to growl at the general through the glass window installed to observe it.

"Well you'll have the rest of your life to answer me Dragon 'cause you ain't goin' anywhere," Monger said a little too smugly. "'Specially with that leg of yours all busted up."

Tor'ka growled again at the general and flared his massive wings out in a challenging manner. Monger was right; Tor'ka's back leg had been severely wounded during his fight with Monger's men. Their nets had large metal spikes attached to each corner to stick into the ground and keep him pinned. Though he knew that this could potentially harm him he guessed that they hadn't thought that far ahead as one shot cut right through his rear left thigh. There was dried blood caked around the wound though it still leaked slowly down the side of his leg. How it looked was nothing compared to how it felt. He hadn't felt pain for years as nothing that threatened him in the jungles of Cuba had come close to piercing his hide and had forgotten how truly formidable the humans new weapons could be. It burned and ached and he dare not put any real pressure on the leg as it would send a searing pain through his rear half.

"You will be dead a thousand times over before I even begin to age," Tor'ka hissed furiously at the old man on the other side of the glass.

"So you do talk," Monger said with a small smile of triumph. "Let's just hope you learn to say the right things."

Monger strode proudly away from the glass leaving Tor'ka alone with his thoughts and they instantly turned to Lyra. His heart began to ache as he thought of her alone and worried in the middle of the forest. She'd never know what happened to him and he wondered what she'd do when she couldn't find him anywhere. Then he thought, what would he do without her? In all honesty when he had taken her with him and she had suggested Cuba he didn't think that she would last the first week. However as time had passed he found himself growing strangely attached to her and began to protect and educate her. Over time she had become more than his friend; she had become his family. He had to get out…he had to find a way back to her.

"Oh my god Tor'ka what happened to your leg?!"

His head snapped up to find Lyra with her face and hands pressed awkwardly against the glass a frown hardly visible on her obscured features. He stretched his neck out and pressed his face lovingly to the glass.

"Lyra, I was so worried for you."

She pulled away from the glass and frowned sadly. "You always worry more about me than yourself. Now hold on just a second and I'll get you out of there."

"How did you get here?" Tor'ka asked as she wandered around the front of his prison looking critically at every detail.

"I hitched a ride on one of the helicopters," she explained without looking at him as she fiddled with something outside. "I managed to get there just in time to see them try and take you away and was able to sit on the leg of one of the helicopters. Not the most pleasant ride of my life and really difficult to hold onto a helicopter leg for a couple hours but it got me here. After that it was just a matter of finding your heat signature and not getting caught on the way over." She looked at him with a frown of disbelief. "You would not believe the lack of security around here. I mean, I at least expected to come across a locked door or something."

"Little missy I assure you we are very well secured and knew where you were the moment to stepped off that helicopter."

Lyra froze and turned to the side. Tor'ka watched as Monger strode into his view and almost right up to Lyra who was posed to fight. Unfortunately the numerous soldiers behind Monger assured Tor'ka that she wouldn't fare very well.

~~~*~~~

"Hey Susan you okay?"

Susan shook her head clear and saw Link staring at her with a concerned look on his face. Doctor Cockroach had a gentle hand placed on her hand which was resting on the floor and even Insecto and B.O.B were looking at her strangely.

"Yeah yeah I'm fine guys don't worry, I'm just a little…"

"Upset," Doctor Cockraoch finished for her. "We understand all to well my dear."

A small sad smile creased her mouth just before a loud crash sounded from beyond the doors and sirens began to wail through the building.

"What's going on?!" Susan yelled worriedly over the sirens as she stood up and looked around nervously.

As if to answer her the door towards the containment area squealed open and a very scared looking soldier ran in.

"You have to help us!," he pleaded desperately as he stumbled through the opening towards the monsters.

"Calm down calm down," Link said ushering him do so. "What's happening?"

The man panted heavily as he supported himself with his knees to avoid falling over. "There's been an attack…the dragon…" His jagged breathes broke up his sentences; he expended all his energy just running to the monsters.

"The dragon is attacking us?" Doc questioned in disbelief.

There was no way that was possible those cells were impossible to break out of. He and Link had tried far too many times for him to believe otherwise.

The soldier shook his head but was cut off by another yell followed by the dragon's roar.

"Johnson look out!" someone yelled from inside the dark hallway

Johnson straightened up with a look of pure horror on his exhausted face as he stumbled backwards away from the door.

"You guys have to protect me! I'm one the only people who knows the Dragon's passcode!"

The minute the words left his mouth a figure launched out of the darkness hitting Johnson square in the chest. He flew backwards and the figure seemed to use his face to slide along the ground leaping off of him and throwing him against the wall. It was a woman.

"Tell me the passcode," she ordered fiercely with her fists clenched full of his shirt. The man quivered without answering her and she growled before slamming him harder into the wall. "Give me the damn code!"

Susan's hand suddenly closed around the girl's waist and she howled in rage and the tried to wiggle free while refusing to let go of poor Johnson's coat. Susan managed to pry Johnson out of the enraged girl's grip and the minute his feet hit the ground he ran like a bat out of hell. The girl in Susan's hand howled in rage and tried to claw her way free. Susan felt a little bad but she wasn't just going to let her attack poor Johnson.

"Good work Ginormica," Monger stated as he calmly walked in ignoring the black eye that was slowly forming around his right eye.

"Let him go," the girl yelled as she wiggled around trying desperately to escape Susan's grip. "He hasn't done anything to you!"

"It's not what Dragon has done little missy it's what he might do," the general replied as he stepped up to Susan who lowered her hand as she knelt down so that Monger could speak to the girl more directly. "He's a monster-"

"He's not a monster!" she screamed at him. "And his name is Tor'ka!"

"Now now no need to knot yer knickers," he told her. "Your buddy in the cell there made an offer that I think we call all benefit from." The girl was silent waiting for him to continue. "We planned on just shootin ya down on sight. However, Dragon promised to cooperate without hassle with us in exchange for your freedom."

Her breath caught in her throat and shook her head. "No! You can't do that! You're still keeping him a prisoner!"

"We don't have a choice," he told her. "And besides it's not like you'll remember him anyway. We're gonna wipe yer memory clean."

"No!" she wailed in horror.

"Again we don't seem to have a choice little missy. As long as you know about our little sector here you're not getting out of here. It's for everyone's safety. These monsters have saved Paris and the world and you think they'd be heroes. Some places they are but that don't change some people. If anyone ever found us there are some people who might come here after these monsters and they're the heroes. Dragon ain't done nothin for the world, you think he'll stand a chance?"

"We were fine," she protested weakly as her resolve started to fail. "We were in Cuba for ten years…no one knew…"

Monger let out a sharp laugh. "Well someone must've or else we wouldn't have gone out there for him. How long will Dragon live?" She went dead silent and in that moment she knew that she had lost the battle. "There's no way he could spend his whole life in hidin. Now, what we're offering here is a compromise; the world never has to know about him until we tell them, and he don't have to worry about anything neither."

"This isn't fair! No matter what you do I'll never forget him! I'll be back for him!

"Sir I think I have an idea," Susan began softly. The pain in the girl's voice had become too much for her and she had to do something. It was very obvious that this girl cared very much for the dragon though she had no idea how that had all happened. However she did know that she couldn't let them be separated like this.

"And what might that be Ginormica?"

B.O.B scoffed a bit. "Pfft. Even I know what an idea is," he whispered to Link who elbowed the blob into silence.

"I think that it would be best if maybe we let her stay here with him."

"Ginormica that's-"

"If I may General," Doctor Cockroach interrupted politely. "I think Susan might just have something."

Doc glanced quickly up at Susan who was staring expectantly at him before gulping slightly. This was a chance for him to impress Susan. It was obvious that this situation was making her feel terrible and if he could make Susan a little happier by convincing Monger to keep this human around then that's what he was going to do.

"And what would that be?," Monger prompted.

"I believe that it would be in our best interests to let her stay here with the dragon. They could both be subdued by each others presence. The dragon will probably cooperate with a familiar face around and there won't be any worry of our secrets getting out because she won't be going anywhere. Even if you brainwashed her there would be no assurance that it would work as many amnesia victims do eventually recover their memory."

"We could look after her," Susan said hoping that that sounded a little more appealing to the girl as she offered her a small smile.

Monger nodded. "You make a good point. Well then it's settled, you can stay on the condition that you do _not _leave the premises without my say so or you will be gunned down. No more attacks or I'll have this team on you like that!" He snapped his fingers and the girl frowned slightly behind her sunglasses. "_And_, you will do whatever I tell you to do whenever I tell you to do it or I will erase your memory and that dragon of yours will never see the light of day again. Am I making myself clear?"

The girl was silent for a moment acknowledging that every rule he had given her had a consequence she didn't want to consider. "Crystal," she mumbled and Susan gently placed the girl on the ground.

~~~*~~~

"I still can't believe that they were too scared of you to come in here and fix you up properly," Lyra grumbled more to herself than to him.

Tor'ka gently nudged Lyra with his muzzle as she finished tying a large bed sheet around his leg as a make shift bandage. She wouldn't look at him and with her sunglasses perched on top of her hair he could see that her expression was a frustrated one. When Monger had agreed to keep her here for reasons of national security Tor'ka had just been happy not to lose her but she hadn't said two words to him upon entering the cell. She had been told to share his cell on under the belief that it would keep both of them in line and as far as Tor'ka was concerned it was working. For him anyway. He looked around the pale white room and saw the destroyed bed that they had brought in for her shoved into a corner. She had ripped it apart in order to take care of his leg using one sheet to clean up the wound as best she could. She had then used pieces of the frame to make a splint for his leg so that he couldn't move it and pull open the wound. She had then used the pillow like gauze and then used the final sheet to tie it all together. A small smile graced his still bound mouth and he thought of how she had grown into such a smart young woman.

"My gratitude Lyra," he told her graciously when she started to turn her back to him.

"I'm not talking to you," she bit back.

"Oh? And why would that be?" He nudged her gently with his head causing her to stumble forward a bit before turning to face him.

"You would've let them take my memory Tor'ka," she growled. "How am I supposed to be okay with that?"

"Lyra," he whispered. "What would you have expected me do? I had a moment of panic and all I could think of was your well being. Can you tell me with honesty that you would not have done the same?"

She went silent for a moment before looking at him with sadness. "But…I can't forget you. If I did it would just destroy me."

"And I feel the same my dear but I would pick your life over my own any day."

She pressed herself firmly against his flank to try and physically express your forgiveness and love. "I guess I ruined your plan huh?"

"Not at all," he told her as his tail curled around to hold her to him. "I have spent ten years with you at my side if anything having you here with me will only keep me strong through whatever may befall me."

"Us," she corrected softly. "Whatever may befall us."

He smiled and stared out the glass to the strange building beyond. "Indeed." He turned back to her with a look of knowing and a smirk. "I am quite surprised however that you gave up so easily and agreed to stay here after that fight you put up earlier."

She stepped away from him to look him in the eye. "I thought about it and it didn't seem like I had another choice at the time. When Monger was talking at me I was trying to figure out some plan of escape. It was then I realized that even if I had gotten the passcode you wouldn't have made it very far with your leg in this condition and then we both would've been in even more trouble."

"So what are you proposing now then?"

"I propose we wait. While I wait for your leg to heal I'll figure out a way to get that metal contraption off your face and we'll come up with a plan of escape."

"For as long as I've known you you've always had a trick or two up your sleeve."

She smiled at how foreign the phrase sounded being spoken in his elegant tongue. "Of course. We just need to play it safe with one step at a time. Until then unfortunately we'll just have to play along."


	4. 3: The Proper Terms of Hate

**Chapter 3 – The Proper Terms of Hate**

"_Family isn't about who's blood you have. It's about who you care about." – Trey Parker and Matt Stone_

Susan walked slowly down the halls do that her friends could keep up with her naturally longer strides. She had convinced them earlier that morning that they should at least introduce themselves to their two new arrivals in a show that they weren't the enemies she was sure they appeared. In truth Susan just really wanted her friends to be there with her when she tried her best to make amends. She knew that she was the one who had managed to capture both of them and feared that they would hold a grudge. As if feeling her thoughts Link playfully punched the side of her foot and smiled up at her.

"Don't worry about it Susan," he assured her. "Besides even if they are a little miffed you're too nice to stay mad at."

Doctor Cockroach couldn't help but bristle with a slight jealousy at the show between the two but with a sigh he calmed himself knowing that Link felt no such emotions towards her. On day he'd have the courage to tell her how he felt about her but like yesterday and the day before it today was not that day.

They walked almost cautiously in front of the enormous glass panel and Susan knelt down so that she could peer properly inside. The massive creature inside was already awake and seemed to be staring at nothing as its gaze pierced one of the white walls. Susan forced and pained smile but inside her heart broke as she saw how its powerful elegance was destroyed by the metal device strapped to its muzzle and the large makeshift bandage around its back leg. It lay pressed against the wall with its wings folded against its sides and the young woman curled in it's front legs. The dragons head turned to them and it seemed to nod at them though it said nothing waiting for them to break the thick ice.

And B.O.B was the perfect candidate to do so. "I think pillows are supposed to go on your head," he bluntly pointed out.

A deep chuckle rumbled from within the dragon's chest. "I shall keep that in mind."

"Great!" B.O.B replied with a large grin plastered on his blue features. "'Cause I don't have one!"

At this the dragon's laughter echoed throughout its chambers though its smiling features were obscured by it face trap. It then seemed to notice the slightly confused look on B.O.B's face and it tilted it's head to the side in its own confusion. "He's not kidding, is he?"

Susan smiled gently and Doctor Cockroach shook his head. "I'm afraid not. B.O.B here was created through the combination of a genetically altered tomato and a chemically altered ranch dressing. The results were…" His voice wavered off unsure of what words to use to describe his indestructible friend. "Anyway, he was basically created without a brain."

B.O.B laughed. "And I'm just fine!"

The dragon seemed to smile and hold in another laugh. "A pleasure to meet you B.O.B. My name is Tor'ka."

Susan's smile grew as she proceeded to introduce herself and her friends to the dragon Tor'ka. "And we have another friend named Insectosaurous who was just too big to come introduce herself. She's like three hundred stories tall," she explained with excitement while Tor'ka patiently listened.

"Well, it sounds like interesting family indeed." He turned his face to the girl curled in his arms and Link tilted his head as he saw the look in the dragon's eyes. "This little human right here is my family. This is Lyra Rivers."

Susan's smile suddenly dropped. "I'm sorry…we almost took you from her…"

Tor'ka looked at the 50 story woman and shook his head. "You can't blame yourself, you were only doing what was asked of you to help the planet."

Doctor Cockroach approached the glass with an inquisitive look on his face. "You seem very calm now for a dragon that was quite hostile the other day."

"Yes well, in all fairness you did start the attack the other day," Tor'ka justified before curling his arms and pulling Lyra closer to his chest. "But you're right…I was furious because for ten years Lyra was all I had and suddenly I was being stolen from her and there was the great possibility that I would never see her again. But now she is here with me and as long as I can be near her and protect her that is all I need to be happy and content."

Doc's eyes widened and took a deep breath; he knew that feeling. That was true love; it was the exact same thing he felt for Susan. As long as he could be near Susan, even if he could never tell her how he felt, he would always be happy. Only the way this dragon looked at Lyra Rivers was not the same way that he looked at Susan. The dragon gazed at her with the adoration only a parent could muster in their eyes.

"I understand," Doc told Tor'ka quietly.

"Thank you," it replied with courtesy. "I understand now that this may very well be best for everyone…to have me locked away in here I mean. I can understand the worry, and in the end there was nothing destroyed that cannot be fixed. I suppose I mean to say that I hold nothing against you." He seemed to hesitate. "I'm afraid that Lyra, on the other hand, will be far less forgiving."

As if on cue the girl stretched out in his grasp and let out a small but audible yawn before pulling herself shakily to her feet. She rubbed a fist against her eyes as she stepped over to his hind leg to look at his bandage.

"Lyra my dear, why don't you say good morning to our visitors before you do that," Tor'ka told her gently.

Her body went rigid and she spun around to face the glass and for the first time the group really seemed to get a good look at her.

"Wow…," was all Link managed to breathe out as he leaned back with wide eyes.

Her face was strong featured with a prominent jaw line and a smooth round chin. Her nose was small and straight and pointed to the full pink lips of a round mouth. Her large emerald eyes were accented with long dark lashes and filled with unspoken emotions. Sleek blonde hair, though slightly disheveled from a restless sleep, fell softly around her face and down to the small of her back. Her skin was a healthy light tan that would've been flawless had it not been for the scars that littered her exposed limbs. A dark green tank top that was far too small for her larger bust covered her upper half but left her toned stomach revealed. Black jeans covered her well curved hips but were torn short to leave her mile long legs for public viewing. Her custom sunglasses hung from her right pocket and her feet were incased in what looked like steel toed work boots with dirty white socks showing just.

Link may have been terrorizing a beach for a good portion of his life and stuck in Area 51 for the rest of it but he still knew a beautiful girl when he saw one. The fact that she looked rugged from surviving in the wilderness made her that much more appealing.

"Who are they?" Her eyes darted between Tor'ka and the small group cautiously. She recognized their faces from when she had been captured but she wasn't entirely sure what they were doing here. They couldn't be prisoners like her and Tor'ka as they weren't trapped behind glass.

"We are the monsters of Area 51 my dear," Doctor Cockroach told her with a slight bow.

"Hey there," Link added as suavely as he could with a small salute and a cheesy grin.

She seemed to frown at being called 'dear' by someone other than Tor'ka but nodded slightly and uttered a cautious hello.

Tor'ka nudged her with his muzzled snout. "You need to be more polite that dear Lyra, they have offered us friendship in this place."

She frowned, what was the point of making friends when they planned on escaping anyway? But she had learned not to second guess any decision that Tor'ka had made because it was usually for reasons she never understood right away. So her smile slowly turned to a small pressed lip smile.

"I'm sorry, I'm sure you can understand…I'm more than a little wary right now."

Susan smiled and nodded at her. "That's understandable. You're handling being stuck here a lot better than I did at first. You should've seen me, I tried to beat poor Doc to death with a spoon."

B.O.B spoke before anyone else could chime in. "Yeah and I tried to burn all of us to a crisp for taking me from Cuba!"

The room froze and Lyra's smile fell away. "What?" Her question was harsh and forcibly quiet and her knuckles started to turn white from how hard she was clenching her fists. She wasn't stupid but she figured maybe this blob was as that sounded more like a memory of Tor'ka's. Realization dawned on her as her eyes widened. "You! You're all responsible for Tor'ka being in here aren't you?! I knew that stupid general couldn't have gotten him on his own!" The string of curses that followed and accompanied her furious punches to the glass could've melted stone.

Susan's expression fell drastically and Tor'ka used his tail to wrap around her waist and pull her back from the glass to dangle her above the ground as far back as his tail would reach.

"I'm very sorry," Tor'ka said quietly with a nod. "Perhaps another time would be best."

The small group made their way away from the screaming girl and Doc couldn't help but notice the distraught look on Susan's face.

"Susan my dear it's not your fault," he assured her but his antennae fell in dismay when she shook her head.

"No it is," she fretted. "I don't think you get it; I took away their lives just like Monger took away mine. They wouldn't be here if it weren't for me. My life may have been better for it but what's to say theirs will? You saw her…she's hates me."

"Correction," Link chimed in as he swung himself forward again. "She hates _us_."

~~~*~~~

Lyra growled and smacked Tor'ka's tail away from her. "I will not befriend those monsters that brought you here!"

"Lyra," Tor'ka chided calmly. "They did what they were told to do and what they did was probably better for everyone in the long run. We cannot hold this against them."

Lyra's eyes widened in horror. "You talk like you don't want to leave anymore!"

"I never said that," he hissed at her. "I just believe that no one here was in the wrong.

She punched his flank angrily. "They were in the wrong!" She let out a growl of frustration and punched his flank again.

"Lyra just listen to me," Tor'ka asked her though his tone commanded it. She fell silent and looked at him expectantly. "They are monsters just like I am and I'm sure that even if they are not now they were once captured and imprisoned just the same as I am. You do not know what was taken from them, you do not know what they lost. They were ordered to capture and bring me here for my own safety and for the safety of the humans of this world."

"But I know you," Lyra tried to reason. "You wouldn't hurt a fly unless it was a very very threatening fly."

He let a deep chuckle rumble in his chest for a moment at her very poor analogy. "My dear do you really believe that matters to people? You were far too young when you first saw me to see past the experience of meeting a creature of myth. I'm sure that you would not be the only person in the world to feel that way, but I promise you that a greater majority would be terrified by my existence."

She thought back to when they had first met and suddenly she could taste the blood and bullet again as if it had just happened. She wiped the back of her arm against her mouth subconsciously and looked away from him guiltily.

"People hardly look past the appearances of one another I doubt they would look past my fangs. You should know this just as well as I do."

Lyra stared at the ground. It was true. Tor'ka always told her that she reminded him of the beautiful princesses of his time especially with her long golden hair. Unfortunately there were many times that she had gone into the village and knew too well exactly what people were thinking when they looked at her. And though she had even proven her intelligence to them no one ever seemed to see it, probably because her brain was in her head and they hardly ever looked above her breasts. She knew for a fact that not many cared what was on the inside.

"I do not wish to stay here and I do not plan to but perhaps there is a better solution. Surely there can be somewhere far more isolated for us to hide once we are free of here. Either way I do not believe being hostile to the only individuals here willing to be friendly is the right way to go about things."

"My goal is escaping not making friends," she told him firmly trying to justify herself though she knew she had already lost the argument.

"Maybe so but friends will make the time that you do spend here a lot more enjoyable," he answered before he gave a massive shrug with his shoulders and tried to make himself comfortable. "And if we never make it out of here I can guarantee you that you will be a very lonely person."

Lyra bristled at that comment but continued to stare at the ground. He couldn't be right. Tor'ka had been all she had in Cuba surely it wouldn't be that lonely with others around as long as she had him. She shook her head as if reassuring herself by shaking any doubts from her mind. It wouldn't matter because they would get out and it wouldn't come to that.

"Well how are we doing today folks?"

Lyra was pulled from her thoughts by Monger's heavily accented voice. She looked to the back of the room and found a small steel door opened with the general blocking her path.

"Fine thank you," Tor'ka answered curtiously.

Monger grinned. "Good, little missy it seems like your friend here still won't do too good walking so why don't you head down this hall hear and grab him some food while me an' him have a talk."

She looked over to Tor'ka who nodded at her and with a hefty sigh she slid past Monger into the hallway behind the cell. As she left Monger strode in an a soldier took his place in the door.

"You seem a lot more agreeable today Dragon," Monger stated and he strode around the large black creature.

"You could say that," Tor'ka agreed. "I was furious because you took me away from Lyra, my only goal was to return to her. But now she is here and she is safe…if fighting will put her in danger then I will not do it."

"Good to hear. Besides it ain't so bad around here once ya get used to it."

"I'm sure." Tor'ka hesitated unsure of whether it would really be the best idea to continue but with a sigh he looked Monger sternly in the eye. "Sir, I have a favor to ask of you."

~~~*~~~

Lyra followed the terribly bright hallway until she reached an archway that opened into a large pale grey room with many other large metal doors laced throughout the walls. She noticed the enormous table that Susan was seated at currently eating some very unappealing looking mush while the other monsters being much smaller than her had their own meals at a smaller table beside hers. Lyra searched around for something that could possibly be interpreted as a dragon's meal but didn't see anything from her perspective. She couldn't bring herself to speak to them yet after screaming at them so terribly but she wouldn't go back to Tor'ka without food.

Link noticed the tall blonde standing in the doorway looking slightly confused and elbowed Doc in the ribs before nodded over in her direction. Doc instantly dropped the piece of garbage he had been nibbling on and wiped any residue off with the back of his sleep.

"Well hello my dear," he said as he stood up.

Link ushered for B.O.B to stay quiet and just watched the girl skeptically and Susan tried her best to offer the girl a small smile.

Lyra puffed out her cheeks trying to suck up her courage as she knew she owed it to Tor'ka to try and be polite. Her face was beginning to turn red as her well-mannered words got caught in her throat blocked by her pride and fury. She wanted to be polite for Tor'ka's sake; she couldn't bear to disappoint him. But these monsters would not be forgiven so easily and she decided that Tor'ka wasn't here right now and what he didn't know wouldn't hurt either of them.

And so she met the Doctor's politeness with a frown and silence as she made her way into the room and looked around for Tor'ka's meal. She made it nearly all the way to Susan's table wondering if maybe it was up there when a loud echoing bellow shook the room. Lyra froze mid step and her eyes went wide as she turned around and saw what looked like a giant butterfly. How the hell did she miss that when she came in?! It stared at her with enormous comforting eyes and batted huge lashes before bellowing a little softer at her. It was then she realized that there was a large headless cow sitting on the floor by its feet. It was a clean cut so it must've been put there and the three hundred foot monster looked like it was offering it to her. It clicked that that must've been Tor'ka's meal. She tried to step towards it but it bellowed lightly against and she froze.

"Oh for-" Link didn't even finished his sentence as he began grumbling and stood up. "That's Insectosaurous, don't worry she won't hurt you."

Lyra's cheeks puffed out as she held her breath and choked on her words again. She refused to be anything other than difficult to these people. She tried to calm herself by closing her eyes and taking a deep breath before she got ready to approach Insectosaurous.

"Here."

Her eyes shot open and she saw Link coming towards her dragging the cow behind him by a leg. Instead of dropping it beside her like she was hoping he would he walked right up to her without letting go of it.

"I can carry it myself," she mumbled as her hand shot forward to grab at the cow.

He pulled it back a little as she reached for it and gave his best smile. "It's pretty heavy, I got it."

"I can manage," she hissed out snatching it from him and yanking it towards her. She nearly toppled under the weight of it but tried her best to make sure in inconvenience didn't show. Unfortunately Link had noticed her wince.

"Let me," he pulled the cow away from her with ease as she was nowhere near as strong as he was.

"Just so you know my dear," Doctor Cockroach said kindly as if she hadn't just been rude to him. "Monger did bring some food here for you as well. We put it up on Susan's table so that B.O.B couldn't get it."

Susan offered Lyra a small smile as she pinched a tiny bowl on the table and reached down to offer it to her. Lyra cautiously took it and stared at the group as if they had just started sprouting extra limbs.

"Alright I don't know what game you're all playing at but stop it," Lyra demanded angrily. "If you guys think that being all nice and crap to me is going to make up for kidnapping the only family I've got and getting both us imprisoned in here, then you really really don't comprehend the idea of a fair exchange."

"I'm so sorry," Susan said sincerely as she stood up and looked at the girl pleadingly. "Please we weren't…we didn't know about you. I swear if I had known he had a family I wouldn't have helped."

"And please understand that life here is actually quite enjoyable my dear," Doctor Cockroach offered knowing that this young woman's forgiveness would mean the world to Susan. "Once Monger has deemed that Tor'ka is no threat to the world I'm sure he will grant both of you the same privileges that he has giving us. And besides here you get three squares meals a day without having to hunt or scavenge for it. And Monger really will make sure that Tor'ka is protected."

Susan reached out and placed a gentle hand on Lyra's back meant to comfort the blonde. "I understand how this must feel, I didn't arrive here all that long ago. Can you imagine what it would be like to get hit by a meteor on your wedding day grow to fifty stories get shot down and wake up here not knowing what's happening?" She laughed lightly. "Strangest day of my life. But it's okay because I'm happier here now. I still have my family outside but these guys are my real family now."

Lyra's eyes widened and she felt all her hate filled words choke her and she was sure that her shock was evident. She had never considered that one of them had been human and had a normal life before this only to have it taken away. She would never have guessed…and on what was supposed to be the happiest day for Susan.

"You…you were normal?," Lyra finally managed to choke out.

"Yes," Susan replied as she kneeled down and rested her hands on her knees. "Doctor Cockroach was a regular human once too."

She looked over at the Doctor even more shocked.

"It's true," he told her. "I was trying to discover a way to give humans the cockroach's ability to survive however, though I succeeded, it appears the process has some unfortunate side effects."

She felt terrible now. These people knew more than her what it was like to have their lives taken from them. She had chosen to run away from home ten years ago, now at twenty one she had chosen to follow Tor'ka here. If anyone had a right to hate them it wasn't her it was Tor'ka and he bore no ill will at all. She felt sick to her bones and the guilt hit her like a swift punch. She had been so bitter but her pains were nothing. She opened her mouth to utter an apology but all that came out was a small squeak. She felt like a child all over again that had been caught in a lie and didn't have anymore justifications to worm her way out of getting into trouble. Who was she to think that she deserved more pity for being trapped here than them? Tor'ka was right; though she had never needed anyone else before her heart broke as she knew their kindness would be something she would miss once she drove it away. They were a family and despite all her curses and dirty looks they were still trying to welcome her into it when it all honesty she, being the only normal human here, had no place there.

"I'm so sorry," she blurted out before turning on her heel and running back to Tor'ka.

Her boots clomped heavily through the hallway and she ran as fast as she could back to the dragon she had come to love as a father. She burst through the back door and found Tor'ka by himself with a fresh bandage on his leg.

"I thought you were supposed to bring food with you," he said skeptically as he saw her enter empty handed. She didn't pause at his words and lunged onto him latching her arms around his neck.

"I'm sorry Tor'ka I never should've yelled at you," she sobbed and the dragon almost recoiled in surprise.

But as he watched her cling to the base of his neck crying he could only see the small child that had followed him years ago.

"Little Lyra," he cooed quietly. "My dear it's quite alright, now what really is bothering you?"

"I was wrong…I had no right…to hate them so much," she cried into him and Tor'ka watched as the one called Link dropped a cow into room but froze having heard some of her words. "I…I have no right…no right to hate them so much…they …I don't belong here…but they…they didn't have a choice …and they're trying to…" Her sobs took over her words and he curled his tail around her as he nuzzled her lovingly.

"Lyra." He sighed and hugged her even tighter as Link slowly tried to pry himself away from the scene. "You are growing up so well…but there are some life lessons you can't learn by yourself. But I am very proud of you my dear, you know what is right to do now."

She nodded against his neck as she wondered quietly if she would be able to leave them so easily now that she couldn't bring herself to hate them any longer.


	5. 4: One Step Closer

**Chapter 4 – One Step Closer**

"_Holding on to anger, resentment and hurt only gives you tense muscles, a headache and a sore jaw from clenching your teeth. Forgiveness gives you back the laughter and the lightness in your life." - Joan Lunden_

Tor'ka released a huge sigh as one of Monger's assistant's pulled the metal muzzle from his mouth so that he could eat properly. It had been a week since Lyra's breakdown and she had been taken out by Monger again to have another talk; she was in trouble once more for having taken out her anger on a guard who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The poor man would probably be able to pee around corners for the rest of his life. Tor'ka had had to use all his prowess to convince Monger not to swipe her memory on the spot and kick her to the street. It had been tough for her to realise that the others were prisoners here just as he was and she was no longer sure of what to do with all her rage. The monsters had come by to see how she was doing the day after her breakdown and luckily at the time Monger had been taking her on a tour of the facility so he had had a chance to talk with them.

~~~*Flashback*~~~

"_May we come in?" Doctor Cockroach asked politely for himself and Susan as he peered around the corner of the open back door to Tor'ka's cell. _

_There were, of course, guards standing watch outside but the door had been left open for Tor'ka to push his meal outside when he was done with it. Tor'ka had been promised a mouth full of lead if he made one wrong move but he swore he wouldn't as he understood this was a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate how trustworthy he could be. If he could prove stronger than his urge to breathe fire then he may not need the muzzle on all the time which was something he dearly wanted._

"_Yes of course," Tor'ka replied as he yawned widely happy to be able to stretch out his jaw for the day. "Is there something I can help you with?"_

"_We just wanted to see if Lyra was doing any better since the other day," Susan said as she ducked down so that she could peer into the room._

_Tor'ka couldn't help but release a deep laugh and he offered them the best smile he could muster. "I'm afraid not. She is still furious at being trapped in this place and without being able to put the blame on all of you she isn't quite sure what to hate." He knew that he had instilled a sense of great loyalty in her and was well aware that now she would not leave this place unless she could take everyone with her. "She was able to continue on just fine when she was able to hate someone for this predicament, but once she learned that you were all trapped here just the same as I...it became very difficult for her. You must understand she has spent the past ten years of her life in the jungle with only myself as a companion. This friendship you offer her is a very alien thing to her and she isn't quite sure how to react to it now. It makes it so that she cannot hate you and so she hates you all the more."_

"_What would you suggest we do then?," Doc asked curiously._

"_The best thing that you could probably do is leave her to her own devices right now. She is still quite furious at our predicament right now yet with no where to put the blame she is taking her anger out on everything. I don't see any reason to provoke her into taking them out on you." He smiled discreetly to himself as he thought of the little human he considered to be his own daughter. "Do not tell her I said this...but I truly believe that being here is the best thing that could've happened to her. It is true she is incredibly smart and can create many things from nothing...but due to her upbringing with both myself and her biological parents she lacks any sort of personable skills."_

"_Every parent wants what's best for their child," Susan said with a smile._

_Tor'ka smiled at her. "Exactly."_

~~~*End Flashback*~~~

He had been hoping that Lyra would make the first move and accept the friendship that the monsters offered but she made no indication of any such intentions. Instead for the past week she had stayed perfectly clear of the main room where she would be most likely to run into anyone and had spent her time in the room with Tor'ka ranting about the frustrations she was doing nothing about. He was lucky that Link had been bringing him his meals or she may have let him starve. Today she returned after her lecture in an even fouler mood if possible.

"This is stupid I hate this place, I hate all these stupid people." She slammed her fist against the wall as she entered and slumped down into a corner.

"Lyra my dear you must learn to control your temper," Tor'ka urged her. "I've managed to convince Monger to let you stay here so far but I don't know how much longer he will put up with your actions. If you push him any further Lyra he may send you away."

She growled from her position on the ground and turned her head away from him. "Well what are you expecting me to do?! I can't just sit here forever!"

"Then you would rather be separated due to your own actions when it can easily be avoided?" He knew he had struck a chord that time though he was also aware that he was treading thin ice.

She flinched noticeably and held her tongue while she looked away unable to meet his gaze. "No," she whispered. "I don't want to lose you."

He used his tale to pull his meal closer to him before looking at her out of the corner of his eye. "Then you need to work things out before you do something that you'll regret."

Lyra rumbled angrily under her breath as she slammed her fists on the ground and abruptly stood up. "I'm going for a walk before they close the door again," she mumbled through clenched teeth.

She stormed out of the room resisting the urge to slam the nearest soldier against the wall or bury her fist into his face. She gritted her teeth and walked as fast as she could without running. She had no idea where she was going in this terrible place. Before she could realise it her feet had carried her all the way the main room where all the other monsters were taking part in their own personal activities. Link and B.O.B were playing a game of cards at the smaller table while Doctor Cockroach had Susan hooked up to a strange machine that looked like it had been built from scraps.

"Oh Lyra," Susan said in surprise as she noticed the blonde stride into the room.

Link stood up and walked over to her. "Hey, hope you're up for a game of cards," he said giving her a light punch to the shoulder.

It was at that very moment that something inside Lyra snapped and everything that frustrated her burst out in scream of rage that filled the room. She launched herself at Link and drilled her fist into his chest as hard as she could causing him to take a step back before she attacked him with as many punches as she could muster. He managed to hold his ground and take each punch as she threw it seeing as how they didn't seem to bother him once he wasn't surprised anymore. Everyone just watched in silence as the girl just screamed and continued to beat against him with her fists until she was nearly exhausted. Her breathing became labored and nearly collapsed as she weakly pounded both her fists against his chest until she was leaning into him sobbing. The tears rolled down her cheeks as her long blonde hair spilled over her shoulders to the floor.

"I hate you," she sobbed out as loud as her aching voice would let her. "All of you stupid jerks I hate all of you!" She let her hands slide from his chest as she collapsed to the floor in a heap. "I hate you! Why...why can't it be your fault..."

The last line took everyone by surprise but still even B.O.B managed to keep silent.

"You're supposed to be...be the bad guys! But..but you're not! You're just...you're just stuck here..." She sniffled and folded even deeper into her knees as if trying to hide herself. "You're...just doing what you have to...just like Tor'ka. You....you were captured and you had your life...just taken from you...just like Tor'ka. You're all too stupidly nice to hate...just like Tor'ka." She slammed her fist into the floor as hard as she still could. "Dammit why can't it just be your fault..." She curled into her own body as tightly as she could as the sobs racked through her. "I want to go home..."

Lyra wasn't sure how long she continued to lie on the ground sobbing but she was sure it must have been awhile since a few of Monger's lackies had to come get her since they were closing up the cell.

"The poor thing," Doctor Cockroach muttered as they carried her out of the room.

"I know," B.O.B agreed before he formed a hand that he used to try and hide his words to Link. "I didn't want to say anything but that was a horrible stutter; I don't know how Lyra lives with it!"

"Maybe you should just concentrate on your cards there buddy," Link told him hoping that the small distraction would keep them from having to explain more simple facts to the blob.

"It must be so hard for her to feel like that," Susan muttered sympathetically. "I understand what he meant now when he said that because she couldn't hate us she just hated us more." The poor girl had so much pent up rage at the situation and without them as an outlet she must've felt as though she would explode soon. Luckily she had chosen to burst at Link would was able to easily handle every punch she threw. At least now she had managed to release everything and Susan hoped that Lyra would be able to survive just fine now. "She'll be okay now, right?"

"I'm sure she will be, my dear," Doc answered. "I'm sure all the poor dear needed was an outlet for her anger."

Susan was silent for a moment before she said, "She doesn't belong here Doc. She's normal. She deserves to be outside to live whatever life she wants."

"Well true as that may be I'm not entirely sure that's an option anymore unless she's willing to give up Tor'ka."

Susan let out a small sigh and hoped that the girl would be better off now that she had released some of her anger.

~~~*Another week later*~~~

Lyra winced as she watched Susan's soft snow white hair catch on fire. Doctor Cockroach exclaimed in horror before turning off his machine while Susan swiped at her flaming locks in an attempt to muffle the fire. Lyra took a small slow gulp of the food they had given her as she watched this chaos unfold. It had been like this every day; the Doc would come up with a new way to turn Susan back to normal which would never work while B.O.B and Link did their best to ignore it. Doctor Cockroach never seemed to cease muttering apologies to the giant woman and Lyra rested her head in her hand as she watched them thoughtfully. Doc's affection for Susan was so obvious she though the only reason Susan couldn't see it is because she was nearly drowned by the hints and clues. "Can't see the forest for the trees" and such. She released a heavy sigh and seemed to lose herself in her thoughts despite the chaos.

It had been two weeks since her breakdown and one since she assaulted Link and she still wasn't entirely sure how she was supposed to think or feel. Tor'ka had told her that she would know what would be the right thing to do but she had no idea what he had been thinking. The way she had grown up with her real parents and the way that Tor'ka had raised her into a young woman had instilled in her deep proper morals. One of these was a sense of loyalty. Now that she knew these monsters were held prisoner here just like Tor'ka if she found a way out she couldn't leave without them. She was taught better than to leave someone in behind. She momentarily wondered if that's what Tor'ka had meant when he mentioned the right thing to do, if he had meant for her to take everyone with her. Right now she had not yet come up with idea on how to start planning an escape so she settled for examining her new roommates instead.

Lyra believed she had an adequate understanding of everyone there but there were still a few questioned that plagued her mind and her curiosity and need to know everything would not let her mind settle until she knew every last detail. No matter how insignificant it may be to the big picture Tor'ka had taught her that every detail was important in some way. Granted this had been said while they lived in a jungle where there were plants and insects that could kill you in a few moments, but she still believed she could apply it to this world as well.

"Does she know?"

Lyra's voice was so quiet Link almost didn't hear the question.

"What?"

"Does she know how much he likes her?"

B.O.B opened his mouth to speak before Link shushed him with an angry look. "No B.O.B, you're not allowed to be involved in any of these questions until you get the whole boobie thing figured out."

B.O.B made a pouting face that Lyra couldn't help but find adorable and she let a small smile show. Though she no longer showed them the loathing that she had felt at the beginning of her time there she was no longer sure of how to act around them. She kept most of her words to herself and found herself constantly speaking quietly as if she were afraid to offend one of them. In truth she spoke almost nothing due to her confusion. She was torn between her feelings of alienation at being the only being that did not really belong and her sense of loyalty that told her they deserved whatever freedom she could offer. In entirety she wasn't quite sure how to react around any of them but she tried because she wasn't sure what else she could do right now. She started by taking an interest in the lives the monsters had developed for themselves inside their prison.

"It seems," she continued quietly, "that the only one who can't see how much he cares for her is Susan."

"Not a clue," he said with a shrug. "It's not really any of my business."

"I dunno," she mumbled as her brow knitted in frustration. "I was just trying to start some sort of conversation."

Link's shoulders dropped slightly. Of course, he'd just have to screw up their first real conversation.

"Never mind," she said suddenly. Lyra pulled her knees to her chest and pressed her face into her legs.

She felt that she had begun to develop a better since of each person in the compound and found that she liked each of them for their own traits. Even Monger, who she had decided to blame for this whole mess, after she could no longer bring herself to hate the monsters for it, had his admirable qualities. Tor'ka had said nothing to her but he believed placing of her hate on Monger was perfect because no matter how furious she was at him she couldn't risk assaulting him or she'd be thrown out; it was the perfect stalemate. She didn't know what to do with the thought that it may not really be anyone's fault but her own that her and Tor'ka were trapped in here but telling herself that it was Monger's made her feel a little better. It was simply something that had happened and no matter whose fault it was they were still here now. She released another heavy sigh at her thoughts as she continued to stare at the scene unfolding before her.

Link raised an eyebrow at her sudden sigh and he wondered what was constantly racing through her head. It seemed like she still hadn't gotten everything worked out about her situation here. He had wanted to say something that would make it easier for her but Tor'ka had advised against any such action and had said that leaving her to her own devices was the best option. He then noticed that she seemed to be deeply considering Doc and Susan...or his device.

"He's trying to make Susan normal again," he told her. "That's what that device is."

The statement seemed to startle Lyra as she looked up at him again. "Really?" She started to focus on the invention intently as her mind became a mathematical map. She scribbled and rewrote parts of the equation that ran through her head until something seemed to click into place. "I need to go talk to Tor'ka."

"No time for that little missy," Monger told her as he strode into the room.

Lyra frowned and turned to Link to whisper, "How the hell does he hear that over everything else going on here?"

"He hears everything," Link whispered back.

"That's right monsters so stop yer whisperin and listen up!"

Link straightened up and Lyra jumped to her feet in attention; she may not like the general but she definitely respected his ability to break her neck and wipe her memory. And after all she wasn't quite ready push her luck after how close he came to throwing her out last week.

"Guess what monsters, seems we've got a new friend out there just waiting to meet us. Now that Dragon's leg is all better I want you to take him with you and go retrieve Juggernaut."

Lyra frowned curiously. She knew off by heart that Juggernaut was the defined in the dictionary as any large, overpowering, destructive force or object. Personally she wasn't very interested in dealing with something named Juggernaut but there was no way she was letting Tor'ka go off to fight anything without her. She paused in thought; this was the perfect chance. Monger trusted them, or at least Tor'ka, enough to let him outside of the facility. He would be letting them all outside. If that wasn't the perfect opportunity to escape with everyone she didn't know what was. Maybe Monger could capture them one by one with all the monsters on his side but how would he do by himself against them all.

"Sir," she began in the strongest voice she could muster. "Please allow me to go with them."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because Tor'ka and I have been partners in everything we've done for the past ten years and he'll work better if we're together. We keep each other calm." It was a long shot but she didn't have any other choice not if she wanted to be outside these walls in a couple hours. "You have to remember though he is civilized he is also still a dragon. You don't know if he'll suddenly get a little too carried away with breathing fire and without me there you won't be able to stop him without hurting him. And seeing as a dragon is a wonderful asset to your team it'd be a shame if the situation could have been avoided." She hated to speak of Tor'ka in such a way because she knew that in truth he wouldn't hurt anyone unless he felt either his own or her life had was being threatened but she would say whatever she needed to to get a shot at freedom.

"Good point, fine then you can go with them," Monger agreed.

Link watched out of the corner of his eye and saw the flicker of triumph that crossed her face and he narrowed his eyes as he guessed what she really had planned.


	6. 5: The Unstoppable Force

**Chapter 5 – The Unstoppable Force**

"_It's so hard to feel alone with no one there to hold, and the world you know comes crashing down right before your eyes. You keep it all inside but still you can't decide if you should blame yourself or everyone else, but you're just trying to survive. When there's nothing left to lose if I had to choose I'd say; if you're strong enough to cry and you need someone to be there for you let go of all your pride. Just cry, Just cry" - Shiloh_

Tor'ka stretched his neck to the sky and released a strained roar that echoed through the clouds as flecks of flame sprang from the corners of his jaw. He opened his wings as far as they would go before rapidly swinging his tail across the ground and turning his head so he could look down at Monger.

"It feels magnificent to move freely again," Tor'ka bellowed happily as a noise akin to a purr rumbled deep within his chest.

"Well you prove trustworthy Dragon and you might just be able to get used to that feeling," Monger said as that same lopsided grin crossed his aged features.

They had just arrived in Ramsgate England where there had been reports of a new monster that Monger had decided to name Juggernaut. That name still bothered Lyra a great deal but it was wonderful to be outside again. She pulled her sunglasses from her pocket and slid them over her eyes to block out the light and to help her find this 'Juggernaut' sooner. Luckily the sun wasn't warm enough outside to cause too much interference by heating up any objects. Not that it mattered much; living and inanimate objects were usually very easy to tell the difference between.

Monger stepped back into the plane they had brought them here in and announced, "I'll circle around the city so radio me when you think you've got him or if you need some back up."

The blades of the plane started up and rustled the trees of Ellington Park and tossed Lyra's hair wildly around her head. She frowned and used arms to pin hair down as she watched the plane lift into the air and begin its pattern. She cursed silently as she looked over at Susan. With that plane circling and with Susan being the size she was it would be next to impossible to sneak away unseen. She would need to come up with another plan to get away from him as not being seen didn't seem like an option. So, in laymen's terms, they would have no other choice but to try to out run him.

Tor'ka's tail brushed her shoulder and she gave him a quizzical look. "Whatever you may be thinking Lyra I suggest you stop it."

She frowned angrily at him and hoped that he could see it through her glasses.

"I haven't been to England before," Susan muttered as she looked around. The sun wasn't too bright as the mugginess of the day dulled its rays but it was still nice enough.

"Do you like it better than France?" It was the Doctor that asked politely as he looked up at her.

She smiled down at him. "No, it's nice but France was my favourite."

"How are we supposed to know where to start looking," Link grumbled as he looked around and scratched the back of his head.

Lyra barely heard anything they were saying as plans swam through her mind and clouded her thoughts.

"I have the map," B.O.B announced with a large smile.

Link rolled his eyes and shook his head as he reached into the blue blob and pulled the map out before it began to dissolve. Unfortunately it was already too late and much of the map was destroyed.

"Great now what do we do," Link grumbled as he tossed what was left of the paper to the ground.

Doctor Cockroach finally diverted his attention from Susan to the rest of the group. "Well I suppose it would be best to start moving from here. I suggest we split up-"

"I don't," Lyra bit out cutting him off. "That's just stupid."

"Lyra," Tor'ka scolded her ashamed of the manners she was displaying. "I'm sure you can say whatever you need to without the attitude."

She let a sigh but straightened up and the tone in her voice proved that she was trying her hardest to speak politely. "What I mean to say is I don't believe that would be the smartest thing to do." She felt this way for a number of reasons; the most pressing one is that it would be difficult to initiate a spur of the moment escape without everyone there. However that was not the reason she told them. "Think about it; we're looking for someone called Juggernaut who may or may not be friendly. Now I don't know about you guys but I know what the word juggernaut means and it bothers me that war monger decided to call this monster that considering the definition of the word. I, for one, am not keen on the idea of being by myself and coming across an unstoppable force that might want to destroy me."

This silenced the group for a moment as they considered her words and she hoped it would serve her purpose. She took a moment to glance at Tor'ka and the look he was giving her was a very skeptical one. However she wasn't lying she just hadn't told the entire truth so he had no right to doubt her reasons.

"She's right," Susan said assuredly. "There's not a good enough reason to split up especially when we don't know what we're dealing with yet."

Doc nodded. "Be that as it may, we could cover much more ground if we were to separate."

"And then what _Doc_," Lyra demanded losing all her composure again only to have Tor'ka throw another disapproving look at her. "What happens when one of us bumps into him and gets our asses kicked? How is everyone else going to know where he is or what happened?"

"Well perhaps Tor'ka could fly above the city for us. Monger did promise us that he had ordered the local police not to shoot at us."

"Screw War Monger," she yelled at him stepped in between the doctor and the dragon defensively. Tor'ka's tail smacked the back of her head quite roughly at her language but she did her best to ignore the pain that now swelled there. "Yeah sure local authorities may not shoot at him but what's to say average Joe isn't going to whip out his rifle and go trigger happy?"

"What's to say they won't anyway when we're walking by," Link interjected carefully. She shot him a look and he raised his hands in a mock defense. "I'm not saying that sending Tor'ka into the air would be the best thing to do I'm just saying people will probably come after us anyway so we can't really think about that."

"I don't get it," Lyra blurted out as she looked around the group with her brows furrowed in confusion. "Why would you put yourselves in danger for some stupid war mongering jerk who keeps you prisoner to keep the _rest of the world _safe?"

It was dead silent when Lyra had finished and she glanced around the group daring anyone to test her.

"Really 'cause I thought he was keeping us safe from the rest of the world," B.O.B said innocently as he looked around at the group obviously very confused.

Lyra's lips sewed themselves together and her eyes widened somewhat behind the sunglasses as she recoiled slightly.

"Is that how you all feel?"

"I…I admit at first I felt like a prisoner Lyra, but we're all better off with Monger because he keeps us safe," Susan muttered sadly. "We're a family Lyra, and that's our home."

"I don't know if you quite understand my dear," Doctor Cockroach began. "But we are monsters and we cannot change this. Unlike you we would not be able to simply walk down a street without someone screaming. The best we can do is whatever it takes to stay safe and survive till the next day. Monger gives us food and protection from those who would bring us harm."

Lyra found herself sapped of words for the moment and sank back into Tor'ka as if trying to hide away from everyone. "Fine do whatever you want," she muttered as angrily as she could though the emotion was barely there.

There was an awkward silence that graced the group before Susan cleared her throat. "Well, why don't we start looking now or we could be here all day."

Susan led the way with Doc at her heels and B.O.B not far behind but Link hesitated and turned to see Lyra slumped against Tor'ka with her face pressed to his side. The dragon nudged her lightly as the tip of his tail stroked her back.

"Little Lyra," he cooed gently. "We cannot sit here."

Link opened his mouth to say something but instantly closed it and shook his head slightly as he turned away. Lyra finally managed to drag herself away from Tor'ka's side so that he could use his strong tail to lift her onto his back where she sat comfortably with her legs hooked over his shoulders and on either side of his neck. She leaned forward and wrapped herself as tightly around his neck as she could seeing as how her arms were not long enough to lock around him.

"Tor'ka," she whispered quietly as the large dragon lumbered forward. "Do you…do you want to stay with them? Do you feel the same way?"

Tor'ka hesitated with his answer as he knew it would have to be worded very carefully. "I believe...that the safest place for me to be in this world would be somewhere akin to the area the general has established. However for as long as you need me I will not leave you."

"I can't stay there Tor'ka," she whispered as they joined the small group and she hoped her voice was quiet enough. "I…I don't belong even if you do. I'm sorry."

She knew it was very selfish of her to say so as she knew that in her decision not to return to the complex today she was condemning Tor'ka to stay outside with her. He had not known before that there was a safe place for him and it hurt her deeply to know that she would be taking that away from him.

_I can't do that to him_, she thought sadly. _I can't take that away from him just because I'm selfish. They're his family now…_

She growled loudly and smacked her face roughly into the back of Tor'ka's neck in frustration. She couldn't understand why life had to be so damn difficult. In only a short while everything that she had built up as her new life was being torn down around her. She was losing her family yet again only this time the decision was hers to make. And she didn't want to make a decision this time.

"What the hell am I supposed do," she hissed quietly to herself as she let her head turn to the side to the brisk air could refresh her and sweep away her thoughts.

She looked very broken at the moment and as if she wanted to cry but had run out of tears. Her sunglasses had begun to tumble from her face and were almost of the tip of her nose. They slipped from her face but Doctor Cockroach was much faster and managed to catch them before they shattered on the ground.

"My dear," he said as he offered them to her but she met him with silence and turned her head away from him.

"Use them yourself," she mumbled so quietly that Doc almost missed her words. "I won't be responsible for the imprisonment of another monster." Though the words themselves were harsh they held no bite.

Doc took a moment to consider her as they all made a right at the next street and then held the glasses up to his eyes to check for fingerprints. "My goodness!" He turned to look at her again. "My dear did you create these?"

She shrugged. "Yeah…"

"This is incredible! You must've done very well in school!"

"I never finished school," she replied sadly. "I…I left home in grade six…I can't even spell half the words I can pronounce. And I doubt I would do very well with any math problem either…"

"How in the world then did you make infrared sunglasses?"

She met him with silence too stubborn to continue answering questions and too confused to force anymore coherent thought. Tor'ka released a large sigh that emptied smoke into the street before him and startled a few people hiding behind glass windows along the road.

"She is smart in her own way you see," he explained calmly. "Though she may only be as academically as smart as a sixth grader her mind is like a map that places things together. Her mind seems to comprehend things on a level even she can't understand. She will know which wires to connect though she will not know exactly why those particular wires will work. Do you understand?"

Susan smiled. "That's incredible, so she could basically understand _how_ everything works just not why?"

"Precisely," the dragon replied with a small grin as he raised his head proudly. Susan couldn't help but admire how he seemed very proud of the praise for Lyra as if the human really were his daughter.

Lyra sighed and snuggled her face into his scales as thoughts swarmed through her head. She wanted what was best for Tor'ka but she just couldn't accept that that place would be somewhere without her. She loved him more than she had ever loved anyone in her whole life and the thought of losing that broke her deeply. But she couldn't be selfish and take away from him what he wanted just to make herself happy.

_Isn't that what love is about, _she mused calmly. _When you really love someone you will do anything to make them happy…_

She would stay with Tor'ka in the compound if she could but she could not bring herself to swallow her pride and just accept it there. She simply didn't belong there; she was not a human and therefore would not have a place in their family. Their niceness was just part of their personalities and was no reflection on her status there. Lyra was sure if they could speak their minds they wouldn't have any of her and her attitude. With her justifications securely in her mind Lyra began to plan her big break.

"This…is…awesome!," Link exclaimed happily causing Lyra to finally look up.

They had apparently arrived on the beach and she marveled at the view of the ocean. The water sparkled and seemed to beckon to them. Lyra slid from her perch on Tor'ka's shoulders and ran to dip her feet in the water as Link was ready to go for a swim.

"Something's wrong," Susan announced as she looked around with her brow furrowed in concentration. "It's a nice day out but this beach is absolutely abandoned."

As if something had scared everyone away…

Just as the thought surrounded them, excluding B.O.B who was quite happy to attempt to build a sand castle, a large gray hand burst through the sand and firmly grasped Link's leg. With a yell he shot forward into the sand and Lyra spun on her heel to freeze in horror as the figure rose from beneath the sand with its hand still firmly wrapped around Link's leg.

"You must be here to stop me," it hissed in the voice one would imagine a snake might have as it looked around the monsters.

It was the shape of a man though its upper body was hugely out of proportion with the rest of it. His arms and chest rippled with muscle that was free to be seen as he wore no shirt. He would've been standing a good foot taller than Link had the poor fish ape not been dangling upside down from the monster's huge clawed hand. His face was very human featured with a strong square chin and pointed noise. However his mouth was spread into a large grin that revealed rows of thin razor-like teeth and that accented the deep gray of his skin. His eyes where pure black without even the whites beside the pupil showing and he had no hair anywhere. There were thin membranes stretching from his wrist to his hip that slightly resembled wings and a large tail jutted out from his spine that looked strangely like the tail of a crocodile with the fins of a shark attached to it. Whatever was left of the black pants he used to wear was almost none existent as the ripped remains hung loosely from his hips and failed to reach any farther than his knees. His legs, though not as large as his arms, still looked quite powerful.

"Let our friend go Juggernaut," Susan demanded as she stomped her foot into the sand and shook the beach.

"Juggernaut?" The word sounded like sweet poison on his tongue and Lyra stepped back a little. "Is that what they're calling me? Mmmm I like it."

Suddenly Link's tail swung around and connected powerfully with Juggernaut's face. Startled the behemoth dropped him and Link jumped back to the safety of the group looking ready to finish the fight.

"Nice try but I'm too good to be the first man down," Link said with a cocky grin on his face.

Juggernaut placed a hand to his cheek though the hit barely seemed to faze him. "I can't believe they brought you right to me," he spoke quietly and for the first time his English accent seemed to show. "You're what I've been waiting for!"

He launched himself towards the group and Susan growled angrily before slamming her hand into the sand in an attempt to crush him.

"Don't be stupid," Lyra yelled from across the beach. "You've just pushed him into the sand now he could show up anywhere! Dammit Doc use the damn glasses!"

Doctor Cockroach nearly dropped them in his attempt to hold them in front of his eyes and he saw too late that the creature had burrowed its way right beneath a certain distracted blob.

"B.O.B look out!"

But as the words let him Juggernaut burst through the sand and launched the poor unsuspecting tomato into the air. Lyra watched in mortification as B.O.B flew so high into the sky he disappeared from sight. Just how strong was this guy?! They didn't deserve this at all…

"Gimme the glasses!" She launched herself through the sand and used Juggernaut's back as a step to leap higher towards Doc as he threw the glasses at her.

"Stay out of this human," Juggernaut bellowed angrily as he grabbed her ankle and tossed her behind him into the sand.

She skidded painfully across the surface but sighed at the pair of glasses wrapped tightly in her hand. Luckily the throw hadn't been very far and Doc had been able to make the pass in time. Sliding them over her eyes everything turned yellow and red and she prepared to yell out if he dove into the sand again. Tor'ka bristled angrily and stepped towards the unstoppable man with a fire glowing deep behind his teeth and in his eyes.

"Do not touch her!" His voice roared across the beach and deep into the town as flames slid free of his teeth and dove towards Juggernaut. They caught him easily and the flames licked at the sand turning small bits into glass as the dragon attempted to burn the creature to death.

"Dammit he's heating up the sand too," Lyra muttered as the abundance of heat made it hard to pinpoint what had happened to Juggernaut but she saw a small movement just below the surface. "He's gone under again! He's heading towards Doc!"

Susan stomped on the ground again this time shoving her foot deep into its surface and Juggernaut shot roughly out and landed not too far from where Tor'ka had just tried to burn him. The dragon had closed his mouth to stop the fire though small flames still flicked between his teeth. Juggernaut seemed to ready himself for another assault however before he could attempt to attack the group again a familiar blue blob landed on top of him.

"Did I miss anything?," B.O.B asked with the same goofy grin plastered on his face.

Juggernaut moved awkwardly inside B.O.B before his hand burst through the side of the monster and he crawled his way out with fury and excitement plastered across his abnormal features.

"Unbelievable," he breathed. "You survived that fall…you're all so much better than I imagined you would be this is perfect." His gaze slid across to Tor'ka. "But you…you're new aren't you. And you're real." His grin broadened considerably until it was abnormally large for his features. "You must've been alive for hundreds of years if you're real…this is absolutely perfect!"

He launched himself at Tor'ka who roared and prepared to fight him off however Susan was faster as she slammed her hand down on Juggernaut again this time being sure to wrap her fingers around him to keep him from going deep into the sand again. She lifted him to her face and jerked away in shock when he met her was a harsh laugh.

"You can't stop me!"

His cackle unnerved Lyra and she glanced towards Tor'ka nervously. "For god sake's someone call the general before he kills someone!"

Doc snatched the radio from his jacket as if he had forgotten about it while Juggernaut seemed to melt from Susan's hand as if he were made of water. She desperately put one hand beneath the other in an attempt to stop him from falling from her fingers but he moved just fast enough to beat her movements. He fell from her grip and the minute he landed on the ground he bolted towards Tor'ka.

"I will take out everyone's insides and I will fix everything!"

Lyra could hear the blades of the plane off in the distance slicing into the air but there were still too far off. Without a second thought she threw her glasses to the ground and ran faster than she believed she was capable of across the unstable sand.

"Leave him alone!!" She threw herself onto Juggernaut's back and wrapped her arms around his neck as she attempted to throw him to the ground. His balance slipped to the side and the growl that left his lips could have curdled blood.

"Mind your own business human," he bellowed as he reached around and wrapped his hand around her neck as he easily plucked the thin girl from his back.

Before Tor'ka could even step forward to tear the bastard limb from limb Juggernaut's grip on her neck tightened threateningly before his arm rippled with strength and he hurled her behind him. Her scream echoed along the length of the beach as she completely over shot the sand itself until she landed with a large splash into the deep ocean waters far from the shore.

"**NO**," Tor'ka hollered as he slammed his head into Juggernaut sending him skidding along the sand as he galloped towards the ocean's edge.

The sound of the blades was louder now and the plane came into sight against the clouds. Juggernaut glared at it in frustration and dove deep into the sand, and without the glasses no one could see where he was going but it was obvious that he was escaping while he still had the chance to.

"**LYRA**," Tor'ka yelled to the ocean as his legs clumsily made their way into the water. He turned back to the monsters with a look of pure horror plastered across his features. "You have to help her! She cannot swim and I will sink before I reach her!"

"I got this," Link told the dragon as he made his way quickly towards the water.

He didn't hesitate as he took in a mouthful of air and dove into the clear blue waters. His tail powered him easily through the ocean as if it were as thin as air allowing him to cross the distance unbelievably fast. He made his way a little lower knowing that she would've sunk by now. Sure enough he could see something dark up ahead and noticed the bubbles cascading towards the surface away from it.

Lyra's movements had become sluggish and tired as her lungs began to crumble inside of her. Her tears blended into the ocean as she sunk lower and the water slid once more through her fingers. Her parents never had the time to teach her swim when she was younger and as a dragon Tor'ka was unable to enter the water without dying so he could not teach her. He would either sink like a rock or the water would douse the fire inside him that helped to keep him alive.

Link saw a single bubble escape from her lips and knew that he didn't have much time. It took second before he was at her side and her eyes looked lazily at him as they threatened to roll into the back of her head. Trying his best not to think about the consequences that would ensue once they were out of this mess he grabbed her shoulders and pressed his lips to hers.

Her eyes widened in complete disbelief as her mind rocketed to life and she contemplated beating him to death. She was about make sure that he died with her until she felt his lips open with hers and she tasted the air that he breathed into her.

Being the creature he was he could breathe underwater using his gills or on land with his lungs and the air he had taken before he dove was purely for her sake. When he felt Lyra suck hungrily at the air until it filled her lungs he pulled away and took her hand as he swam towards the surface as fast as he could. The air he had given her would not last long and he did not have time to hope that it would last her the swim back to shore. When his head broke the surface he pulled her up through the water and she gasped wildly as her head pulled free of the water. She coughed rapidly and clung to his neck with a grip like iron and she choked on the air she wouldn't relax enough to breathe properly.

"Hey hey just calm down and breathe," he tried to tell her as he held her afloat.

She did the best she could to do so and soon though her breathing was still slightly panicked she was at least taking solid breaths. Her eyes were wide as she looked around the ocean and finally to him.

"You…you," she coughed again as she tried to choke out her words. "You kissed me!!!"

Her holler threatened his eardrums but despite his better judgment he decided not to let go of her. "I saved your life!"

"You kissed me," she accused again with wide eyes and a soft blush.

"You want me to let you drown?"

"Maybe!"

"Well you didn't seem to mind it that much a minute ago," he told her as he scooped one arm underneath her legs and another behind her back. "Look you're one of us now and I wasn't going to let you drown. You're part of our family now whether you like it or not and if we don't take care of each other no one will. Now you gotta hold your breath; it'll be easier and faster to get back if I can swim underwater."

~~~*~~~

Tor'ka paced quickly along the water's edge his gaze never once leaving the ocean before him. Monger had already landed but he stood on the beach as Doctor Cockroach told him what had happened and what they had learned of Juggernaut. Susan knelt down placed a gentle hand on Tor'ka's back that stopped him in his tracks and he looked at her with wildness about his gaze.

"Don't worry," she told him gently. "Link won't let anything happen to her, she'll be okay."

"Then why have they not returned yet?!" His eyes such a sadness she nearly began to cry. "I could not help her Susan…"

"That's okay because Link was able to. Just trust me please, she'll be fine."

He released a large sigh and turned his gaze back to the sparkling water. "I cannot possibly leave you now," he told Susan in a quiet voice.

"What do you mean?"

"You will all attempt to capture him again correct?"

"Of course, especially now that we know he's dangerous. We can't just leave him out here where he could kill innocent people."

Tor'ka nodded his head solemnly as he continued to scan the ocean for anything hopeful. "Then I must stay with you all so that I can bring his rain to an end. He threatened the life of the person most dear to me in the world…I will not rest until this matter is resolved."

"Oh…Hey look!" She pointed out to the water where she could see something moving rapidly towards them just below the surface.

Tor'ka watched eagerly and his eyes sparkled with joy as Link rose from the water with Lyra in his arms holding tightly to his neck. Link waded through the water and up to the shore where he finally set the visibly shaken woman to her feet. He took a cautious look at her face to see if she was okay and realized he couldn't quite tell where tears finished and the ocean water started. She ran to Tor'ka as soon as she felt something solid beneath her feet and collapsed against one of his legs and she hugged it as tightly as she could. He curled his neck so that he could use his face to hold her against him.

"Lyra I was so worried for you," he whispered though she met him only with short gasping sobs. He turned his gaze to Link for a moment with a smile glittering in his blue eyes. "Thank you…"

Link just nodded in return and strode over to where Doc was still talking with Monger. "So what're we going to do now?"

"Well we managed to get a satellite image of his features so we're going to be cross referencing that picture with the identities of every human being in existence just incase somethin' happened to 'im just like Doc or Ginormica," the general informed him. "If not all we can do is wait for him to show up again, and be ready when he does."


	7. 6: Something to Learn

**VERY IMPORTANT AUTHORS NOTE:** I was looking at my reviews the other day and a Random Reviewer brought something very important to my attention. I have been s focused on trying to devolop Lyra's character that I nearly lost the machoness that made us all love Link in the first place. So I went back to all my previous chapters and rewrote a few of the parts concerning Link. The major rewrites were in the 4th chapter during Link and Lyra's first real conversation. I didn't make her or him as open in the conversation though there is still interaction. And the next rewrite was after their underwater air exchange, the conversation they had then. It was the best I could do with out rewriting too much but I promise to anyone else who has noticed I was bring out his character plenty in the following chapters and now that Lyra's emotional issues finally seem to be finished with in this chapter we can finally get to plenty of comedy and budding romance in the chapters to come!! Thank you so much to this Random Reviewer for bringing this to my attention as one of my biggest pet peeves is when the characters are no longer themselves. So i hope everyone can forgive this and please enjoy Chapter 6 where we finally learn why Lyra ran away from home and I hope I can make Link macho enough for everyones liking! If there's anything else that people would like to comment on feel free I am to please and reviews fuel my writing passion!

* * *

**Chapter 6 – Something to Learn**

"_We learn by example and by direct experience because there are real limits to the adequacy of verbal instruction." – Malcolm Gladwell_

Lyra released another growl of frustration and slammed herself back against the wall of the cell that had been assigned to her and Tor'ka. She slid down the wall before burying her face into her knees hoping to hide a little of her frustration. Monger had stayed true to his promise in Europe and had given Tor'ka the freedom to go around the complex with the same privileges as the other monsters. It was now two days after their return and Tor'ka had spent both around the building after she had insisted that he not worry so much about her. Lyra was very sure that he had known that she just needed some time by herself but had said nothing. So she had spent the past couple of days pacing around the room consumed by the thoughts that plagued her mind.

"_Like it or not you're part of our family now"_

"Dammit," she mumbled half heartedly into her knees as her last thread of justification snapped and she sighed in defeat.

~~~*~~~

Tor'ka recoiled considerably as he saw a black puff of smoke erupt from the headband that Susan currently wore moments before it exploded into pieces. She let out a small scream before leaping violently from her seat and giving Doctor Cockroach a fearful expression.

"Oh I am so sorry my dear," he apologized with a stammer as he glanced nervously at his machine before removing a few wires and looking back up at her. "I truly believed it would work this time; that I had figured out what was wrong with it."

"I-I know Doc," she managed to stammer out.

Tor'ka examined the small makeshift box closely before turning to Susan and asking, "What, pray tell, are you attempting to accomplish what such a contraption?"

"Well, see I was once a normal person," Susan explained. "Doc builds these machines for me so that I can get back to my original size."

He tilted his head in confusion. "Yes the general explained everyone's past situations to me. I am very sorry but I was under the impression that you where quite happy with how you are now."

"I am I am," she replied quickly. "It's just...it'd be nice not to have to look down on everyone all the time." A large bellow echoed from the other side of the room and Susan smiled. "I'm sorry, _almost_ everyone."

Insectosaurous seemed pleased with herself as she turned back to watch as Link tried once again to explain a new card game to the confused blue tomato.

"How is Lyra doing?," Susan asked as she attempted to change the subject from herself.

"As well as can be expected," Tor'ka replied. "I am afraid however that she has a lot on her mind lately."

"Maybe…Would it be alright if I talked with her?"

Tor'ka smiled the best he could without bearing any teeth. "If you didn't mind at all I think that would be wonderful."

Susan smiled and turned to Doc. "I'll be back in a bit, then maybe we'll try again."

"Of course my dear take your time," he replied graciously as she left the room.

Doc released a heavy sigh before poking his machine in frustration and pulling toaster handle roughly from its slot. Tor'ka gave the mutated cockroach a skeptical glance before looking at the others. Insecto shook her head as if saying not to think about it so Tor'ka strode over to the smaller table in hopes of understanding these 'card games'.

~~~*~~~

Susan leaned around the open door to see Lyra slumped to the floor with her brows furrowed in frustrated thought. Her large boots had been kicked off and were tossed haphazardly on the other side of the room along with her socks.

"Lyra, may I come in?"

Lyra didn't even look at the giantress or respond though Susan was very sure that she had been heard. She carefully entered the room anyway and sat down beside Lyra. Thanks to Tor'ka being the size he was the room was large enough for her to enter comfortably.

"Hey," Susan began awkwardly.

There was a short silence before Lyra finally replied with a small, "Hello."

"We haven't seen you in the common room lately so I figured I'd come in and keep you company so you don't get lonely."

Lyra's frowned deepened and Susan swore that she saw a blush creeping to her cheeks behind her arms.

"Did you want to talk about something?," Susan suggested eagerly.

Lyra sighed in defeat and looked up at her with a bored expression, "Like what?"

"Well I'm sure you could tell me so many interesting stories," Susan said as she looked away smiling. Lyra raised an eyebrow in question and nodded for Susan to continue. "Like you must have had a family before Tor'ka I'm sure you could tell me about that, or maybe about how you and Tor'ka became so close or some of the adventures you guys had!" She dimmed her excitement for a moment so she could look seriously at the young woman. "Or you could tell me what you've been thinking about lately and maybe I could just listen."

Lyra's eyes widened as she looked at Susan with a look that was filled with astonishment before if slowly fell away and became hidden by a soft blush as she averted her gaze. "Wh-What do you want to hear?"

"Well if you don't mind I'd like to hear all of it," Susan told her with a comforting smile painted on her soft features.

Lyra stared at the floor and choked back all her emotions in order it tell the first story. Her childhood was not something she had spoken of since she had explained it to Tor'ka the day of their escape.

"My parent's names were James and Hillary Rivers. My father was a decent hard working man who worked in a law firm in the corporate offices. He was paid enough that we were able to live comfortably without my mother having a steady job. Though she did get commissioned for artwork occasionally; family portraits, wedding cards and such. We lived in a nice little house until my father got accepted for a job when I was five. It paid a lot more for the same job he was already doing so we moved from Oakland to Los Angeles. My uncle Simon lived there as well. My father worked very hard and sometimes he stayed late. My uncle would sometimes come over to keep us company so that me or my mother didn't get lonely."

Lyra hesitated in her story and looked up at the ceiling as she took a deep breath as she closed her eyes. She took that moment to remind herself that it was only a memory and that it was done and over with.

"For six years we were a happy family," she continued finally. "Me, my mother, my father and my uncle. It was nice; I didn't have any brothers or sisters so it was nice not to always be alone. I remember school each day. I never looked forward to it because I found at the time I was quite scared of the other kids. So instead of making me take the bus every morning my father would drive me there and walk me to the doors; every day for six years. Since he worked for the rest of the day sometimes mother would come to pick me up and sometimes Uncle Simon. One day no one came for me and I ended up having to call my father in his office to come and pick me up. He wasn't supposed to be off for another two hours but he left early to come and get me."

She paused and turned her gaze back to the floor as she hugged her knees tighter and frowned at the ground as if it had just hurt her feelings.

"I remember hearing them fight that night; my mother and father. They fought over me and I remember Uncle Simon…the poor man tried so hard to keep me from hearing them fight. I read me any story he could find and tried to distract me with any of the movies we had. But it didn't work and I remember him realizing this. I'll never forget the look on his face…he was so distraught when he finally left me by myself. I almost wish I could've pretended that it had all worked just so I didn't have to see him looking like that. The next morning as my father took me to school he told me to take the bus home from now on and that he would be home as soon as he could. School was out early that day for some reason; I'm not entirely sure why."

She seemed to choke on her words and Susan could see that she had been overcome with a heavy sadness though she refused to cry. Susan held out her hand to the girl though she was much smaller than her. Lyra glanced at it uncertainly for moment before slowly placing her hand on Susan's and squeezing the giant woman's finger in an attempt to comfort herself.

"They were so surprised when I walked into the house. I never…I never had guessed that mother had been having an affair with Uncle Simon all those years." She squeezed Susan's finger tighter. "I tried to tell my father when he came home but he just smiled and told me I must've been mistaken. He was so trusting in my mother and in his brother that he couldn't see it. I noticed it around the house that night; the quick glances, the small smiles and the light touches. I didn't know what to do anymore. Uncle Simon pulled me aside that night and I'll never forget what he did. He apologized to me. He said he was sorry that I had seen that but he told me that he loved my mother. He said he felt terrible for doing this behind my father's back but he said 'in everyone's life they will meet that one person that they will love more than anyone else in their entire life; the person their life is incomplete without and they would do anything for.' He said he was very sorry for me that mother was this person for both himself and my father. But then he said he would leave before he caused anymore damage and he did."

Lyra turned to Susan and offered the giant the best smile she could muster at the moment. "I still love my Uncle Simon, he was a good man. He said sorry to me when even my own mother hadn't. She would get mad at me all the time after that, I think it was because Uncle Simon stopped coming over." Her face dropped to the floor again. "As it turns out he had moved to Wisconsin so that he wasn't tempted again. He only called on occasion to apologize for his absence and ask how we were doing. He spoke only to my father. Father of course still knew nothing because mother still acted like everything was perfect while he was around. I should've said something while she was there to father but I loved to pretend our family was perfect again. However I started to hate my father for being so oblivious. I held onto all that anger and I guess I began to turn into a very difficult child. One day I came home from school again only to find my mother in the arms of yet another man. It was then that I realized none of anything was Uncle Simon's fault; the poor man had just fallen in love with the wrong woman. She, however, did not return my father's or my uncle's love and so I called her what no sixth grader should ever call any woman. Let alone their own mother. I called her a whore. The man left saying that he wouldn't deal with kids and she beat me senseless for it. Father came home that night and I tried to tell him of this other man I had seen but he only smiled and told me that my mother loved me and would never do anything to hurt this family. I don't believe I have ever hated anyone so much for being so stupid in my entire life. I ran away that night. I went across the park because it was the quickest way to the train station. I had been planning on catching the next train to anywhere so that it wouldn't be as easy for them to find me and then from wherever I ended up heading to Wisconsin to stay with Uncle Simon. I realize now that he probably would've called and told my dad where I was but it doesn't really matter because I met Tor'ka crossing the park."

She couldn't help but smile at the thought of the dragon. "He's the kind of person I wish my father could have been. He's so strong and wise and he has such noble sense of justice. He does everything he can to make me happy even if it may not be what's best for him. He was even willing to … to come with me if I ran away in order to keep me safe even though he'd be in danger. That's why I was so mad when I almost lost him; I didn't want to be alone again. And it's also why…I've decided to stay here."

She mumbled the last part a little and turned her head away to hide her embarrassment. Susan's sad expression at the story grew into a bright smile. "I'm so glad to hear that!"

"Am I," Lyra began slowly. Her words stopped and she looked up at Susan; her emerald eyes were wide and shimmered with worry while a soft flush painted itself onto her distressed features. "Am I really part of your family?!"

Susan pulled the young woman into her hands and pressed her to her face in the best hug she could muster. "Of course you are Lyra!"

After that Lyra couldn't stop herself from crying as all her pride fell away and she hugged Susan in return. Who knew that after all she had been through that these would be the people to call her family again. She had a family again…one that she could tell would not abandon her and would not forget about her.

~~~*Three Hours After*~~~

"Susan and Lyra been gone for quite a long time," Tor'ka remarked as he used his tail to point to which card B.O.B should play.

He had spent the last few hours assisting B.O.B in the card game after realizing that Insectosaurous had been cheating for Link. Susan had stopped in shortly after visiting Lyra to announce that Monger had given her permission to take Lyra out for some fresh air in Susan's old hometown.

Link shrugged and switched a couple of his cards around. "They're girls, they're probably doing girl things and we all know that those take forever."

~~~*~~~

Lyra twirled a strand of her long her nervously around her finger as Susan continued to stare at her as they sat inside the large plane that was taking them back to Area 51. Two medium sized suitcases were sitting at Lyra's feet and she stared at them uncomfortably.

"You really didn't have to do all this Susan," Lyra muttered.

"I know," Susan replied with a smile. "But I wanted to."

"Well thank you. I…I really appreciate what you've done for me today."

Susan rolled her eyes slightly. "Well it's not like I was ever going to use them again."

"It's not just that," Lyra said as she clenched her fists in her lap. "I have been so terrible to you and yet you came and you helped me…I think having you talk to me fixed a lot of things."

"Awe I was happy to."

Lyra's embarrassed blush returned and she turned her head away from Susan in order to hide it. "You guys…make it really hard to hate you…"

~~~*~~~

"We're back," Susan announced as she entered the common room a bright smile plastered to her face.

"Where is Lyra?," Tor'ka inquired instantly.

Susan's smile couldn't help but turn into a sweet one as she thought of the feelings Tor'ka and Lyra shared. "She's back in your room, she just needed to put a few things away."

"Where did you take her my dear?" Doctor Cockroach left his machine for a moment to go speak with her.

"I just took her to my house to grab her some new clothes," Susan explained before turning to Tor'ka. "I think she's feeling a lot better now."

Tor'ka grinned and was about to make his way out of the room when Lyra walked in and looked up at Susan. "Thank you again for all this," she said as she brushed her hands down the front of her new shirt.

"No problem. It's nice to see you in something other than those things you stole from some poor tourists."

Lyra let a shy smile creep to her face has she brushed a small strand of hair from her eyes. Susan had done wonders with her in such a short time. Her face was now washed so it was relieved of the dirt that had once before shaded it and her hair looked as soft of silk now that it had been cleaned and brushed. Her too small green shirt was now replaced with a long light pink tank top with a low heart shaped neckline. Her once torn black shorts were now black stretchy jogging pants that were surprisingly form fitting up until her mid thigh where they seemed to lose all shape. Her large work boots had been discarded for a nice pair black runners with faded toes and dirty grey laces. Susan had wanted to make her a little more stylish but Lyra had insisted that comfort was more important to her so Susan had just decided to do that as anything would be an improvement on her old clothes. There was also a long sleeved black coat with large buttons down the front that Susan had given her for those colder days.

"I wish you would've let me give you some of my nicer clothes," Susan complained aloud.

"I told you I like these ones," Lyra protested.

A large approving bellow sounded from across the room and Lyra noticeably bristled as she froze on the spot and slowly turned to look at Insectosaurous. Tor'ka let out a small chuckle that he tried his best to hide by turning his head away.

Link rolled his eyes. "Insecto isn't going to hurt you so stop being scared of her."

Lyra looked at him with sharp remarks written on her tongue but the minute she saw him the feeling of his lips against hers rushed back to her she slammed her mouth shut and her face turned the color of flame before she hid behind Susan's leg.

Tor'ka's chuckle burst into a full roaring laugh that earned him and glare from Lyra. "It's not funny!"

"Oh but it is my dear it is hilarious," Tor'ka managed to say through his laughter. "After everything you've seen and been through I cannot believe that you are still afraid of insects."

"Shut up," she mumbled angrily.

The rest of the group couldn't help but laugh at the embarrassed blonde woman who only frowned angrily at them from behind Susan's leg.

"That's okay," B.O.B said as he neared her. "I'm afraid of tomatoes, isn't that silly?"

Lyra's face distorted in confusion. "That doesn't make any sense! I was told you were like half tomato!"

B.O.B looked at her with complete horror plastered on his features. "It can't be true! NO!"

He proceeded to attempt to run away from himself then by going back and forth along the length of the room while screaming as loud as he could.

"Oh dear," Doctor Cockroach as he attempted to chase and catch the deranged mutant.

Link's shoulders slumped considerably before he turned to Lyra with an annoyed look and gestured to the screaming blob. "It took us three days to calm him down the last time this happened," he told her before running after the two himself.

Tor'ka sent a glance up to Susan. "Are you not going to help them?"

"Sure I will," she replied. "Once they catch him. I'll help calm him down after that but until then I think I'll just watch."

"In that case enjoy your night Susan," Tor'ka said before making his way out of the room.

"Good night," Lyra said quickly. "And thank you again."

She raced after Tor'ka who said nothing to her until they reached their room. "I am very proud of you my dear," he told her as he nestled himself against the glass wall on the other side of the room.

She paused in the doorway so she could just look at him. "For what?"

"You are growing up so wonderfully," he continued as if he hadn't heard her. "I was very worried about you in this place. I was afraid that maybe I was pushing you too hard. But I see now that I never really did anything after all. You've overcome the obstacles that you built for yourself all on your own. I knew you were strong enough…that's why I asked Monger for a favor."

Lyra frowned and strode farther into the room. "What sort of favor?"

"I asked him if he would let you go once you became emotionally stable. That way you could live your life without regretting this enough that you could pretend none of it ever happened."

"Regretting it? Tor'ka I…"

"It took much convincing but he finally agreed under a few conditions that I'm sure you would have no objections to."

"Tor'ka…"

"I suppose I will tell him tomorrow that –"

"Tor'ka!"

She finally managed to silence him and her frown bore into him. "I get it…there were things I learned from them that you could never teach me. I'm sorry for that. But that doesn't mean I don't need you anymore. I know what you wanted me to learn now. You can't teach me everything…that's why some parents send their kids to school so that they can learn right from wrong and so they can understand people better. They can't explain this to their kids it needs to be taught through experience." Tor'ka opened his mouth to say something to her but she ran over and slammed it shut. "Just let me finish! When I think back on it I've learned a lot this past while, but that doesn't mean I'm done. I'm becoming a stronger person and I don't want to stop that. And besides…I know that _you_ will be safer and happier here…that's why I've decided to stay." His eyes widened in astonishment and she finally let go of his mouth and met his gaze. "My pride may never fully recover but this is what I need to do. You've always done what's best for me but now, if I want us to stay together and stay safe, then I'll do what's best for you."

Tor'ka couldn't contain his pride or happiness and before he could stop himself his massive tongue ran up the side of her face in excitement. Lyra jerked away from him with wide eyes completely unaware that her hair was stuck straight up at the front with drool plastered through it.

"Wha-what the hell was that?! You just licked me!"

His happiness overwhelmed him to the point where he was swaying from foot to foot in hopes of keeping his excitement at bay so he didn't express himself by licking her face.

"I am afraid that I could not help myself!" His eyes brimmed with happiness and he pressed his face against her. "I am so very happy!"

Lyra couldn't believe how he was acting; it was so childish. But it was nice to see him so happy. She smiled and wrapped her arms around his muzzle in order to hug him as best she could. He was so happy with her decision and it would be nice to be a part of a family again; perhaps she hadn't made such a terrible choice after all…


	8. 7: Something Begins

**Author's Note:** Sorry about the delay of update I was having a bit of trouble trying to find a quote that I found worked well enoguh with this chapter. It also appears I have trouble being whimsy but I hope I've done a good enough job.

Note to my Random Reviewer: I don't really have any other way to respond so I hope you read this. Don't ever feel your reviews are harsh at all. Yes I know my characters are mine to write however but hearing how they appear to the reader is great for me. It always me to consider how I should write them to make them appear the way I want them to or if they are already appearing that way. As for her crying I hate to say but I knew she was being a complete and total crybaby. Lyra's got some serious emotional issues that I can't believe took six chapters to work through _ In my lay out they only took three haha so I suppose to excess chapters definately make her seem like more of a wuss than she really is. And don't worry, I do plan on having her take a few names.

* * *

**Chapter 7 – Something Begins**

_"Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards" - Vernon Sanders Law_

Lyra poked the pale beige slop on the table in front of her with the large metal spoon they had given her before she shovelled a large spoonful into her mouth. She had been hunting for her own food for ten years and though she doubted she would ever get used to eating normally again she could definitely appreciate tasty food that didn't fight back. Though the fact that it wasn't very solid for food would most likely always unnerve her.

It was the first time she had actually sat down and eaten breakfast with the monsters since she had arrived at the complex. She shared a table with B.O.B and Doc while Susan had her own large table beside theirs. Tor'ka was still in his room sleeping so Lyra had decided she'd bring him his breakfast afterwards and they all just assumed that Link was still fast asleep so Lyra had also agreed to take him his breakfast later.

"B.O.B stop it you've already had your food," Doc scolded as he smacked B.O.B away from his own meal of garbage.

"But I'm still hungry," he whined giving the cockroach a terribly adorable pout.

Lyra stared at the blob contemplating how a creature like him could even exist. Wasn't he made entirely out of food? How in the world could be hungry? If he didn't have a brain how did his eye work? Where did the eye come from anyway? How did his voice work? She lost herself in her thoughts while she absentmindedly stirred her food with one hand and leaned on the other. Without realising it a small smile crept to her face at the thought that such an interesting and wonderful being was created from a tomato and ranch dressing.

Unfortunately on the other side of the world someone else was thinking the exact same thing.

~~~*~~~

"What a fascinating creature," echoed a voice so deep and harsh the British accent was almost lost to the darkness. "To be able to survive such a fall..."

There was only one light on in the entire home and it came from a dirty light bulb screwed into a very simple reading lamp that sat in the same spot it had for the past twenty years on a large oak writing desk. Juggernaut sat comfortably in the antique chair in front of it with his feet placed one over the other on the desk. A worn out notebook was in his lap and he scribbled viciously into it as he eyes skimmed over previous notes. The room itself was a very small study with books littered across the floor. Many of the titles had to do with alchemy while others involved history and even more were research books on chemistry and biology. The pale blue walls were a collage of news clippings and photographs.

A frown suddenly creased his grey features and he let the pen rest. "I'm surprised they arrived so fast," he mumbled aloud with a curious tone to his voice. After being alone for so long he had gotten used to talking to himself; the sound of his own voice was probably the only thing that kept his last thread of sanity from snapping in his empty home. "How difficult! There was plenty of people on the beach..." It was much easier for him to move through sand than any other substance. Even dirt was a challenge and concrete was impossible. They'd probably be watching that beach now that those monsters had seen him. His frown deepened. Where else was he supposed to take people from?

A growl pulled itself from his throat as he slammed his notebook shut. "Hmm them pursuing me is both a blessing and a curse," he mumbled as he left his study and made his way into the dark hallway. His house was very small upstairs but it didn't matter to him as he spent most of his time below its surface. He curled his notebook in one massive hand as he used the other to pull open a thin wooden door that creaked with the slightest movement. A stale air hit his face as he opened it fully he and his features lightened into a smile. As if lost in the distance moans and sobs echoed around him yet seemed much farther away than they really were.

"Shh," he cooed delicately. "There's no need to despair. You're all serving a much greater cause today." He slid the door shut behind him and in an instant it was if the room downstairs never existed.

~~~*~~~

"Awe damn," Lyra muttered to herself just before she slammed a spoon full of her food into her mouth.

"What's wrong my dear?" Doctor Cockroach raised his eyebrows at her with a questioning concern.

She swallowed roughly before frowning and looking at him. "I just realised that I never picked up my sunglasses after a dropped them in Ramsgate."

Susan took a bite of her own meal before asking, "Can't you just make another pair?"

"Maybe if I can find the right supplies," she mumbled in reply as she began to stir her food again in thought. "But I doubt War Monger would be willing to go out and buy me new glasses and even then I'd still need so much…mmmm I think my best bet would be to make something totally different."

"If it would help," Doctor Cockroach offered. "You are welcome to check my meals each morning for anything you could find useful." He gestured to the garbage laid out before him and Lyra considered the offer.

"If you're sure then that would be great," she replied offering him a small smile.

Her eyes scanned the pile of junk noting that the majority of it was empty bags and old food. There were a few other objects though that managed to catch her attention. A broken CD and a small snow globe with a replica of Disneyland trapped inside of it. She reached forward and took both from the pile and her mind started to click with ideas on what she could create with them.

Doc's eyes widened slightly. "Actually I'd like to hold onto that," he said quickly as he reached for the snow globe.

She pulled it just out of his reach and frowned at him. "I thought you said I could have anything I might need."

"Hem yes well unless I say otherwise," he said with as much dignity as he could muster. He had only ever had one snow globe in the garbage before and found the liquid inside flavoured by the flecks of fake snow was absolutely delightful. He couldn't pass up the opportunity for that again.

"Well you should have said 'otherwise' earlier," Lyra retorted. She glanced at the small object and her mind began to race with plans on how to use it. She knew it was selfish of her but she couldn't let it slip through her fingers.

Doc leapt for the globe only to have Lyra smack his hands away. He tried again and once again she smacked him away. Before either of them knew it Lyra had tucked the items just under her arm and the two of them broke out into the most childish looking slap fight that Susan had ever seen. They were basically flailing their arms madly and smacking at each other's hands while Lyra drove the Doc backwards.

"Alright guys come on," Susan said as she grinned and rolled her eyes. She reached down and plucked the small object away from Lyra. "There's got to be a better way to solve this that just bruising your hands."

"There's nothing to solve," Doc said as he pulled at the front of his jacket and tried to look as dignified as possible. "It is still technically my property she is just attempting to bully me out of it."

"Bully-what?!" Lyra was nearly knocked over by the weight of her own shock. "You said I could have whatever I needed from your crap and now I'm the bully for wanting to keep it?!"

"You're the bully for not letting me have it back," he corrected.

"It's the same damn thing you stupid bug!" She slammed the broken CD onto the table and started towards him only to have Susan put her hand between them and slide her back.

"Maybe you guys could settle this over a game of rock paper scissors or something," Susan offered weakly.

Lyra groaned. "That's just dumb. A stupid game of luck won't solve anything, if anything it's gotta be some sort of competition. A real one."

Doc's eyes sparked with an idea and his mouth turned upwards with a small smirk. He knew of a game that even in his years as a human no one had ever managed to beat him at. He had all the equipment for it thanks to Monger purchasing it for him and he doubted that this blonde woman, barely an adult, would best him at it. "Chess," he announced deviously as if he had already won. "I have a chess set back in my room. Winner gets the snow globe."

Lyra met his gaze with a glare. "Fine! Chess it is."

As Doc marched away to retrieve his chess board and pieces Lyra set a small weak smile up to Susan. "I don't suppose you could just let me have the snow globe now and tell him you lost it?" Susan snickered a little at the poor request and Lyra sighed. "I didn't think so but it was a good try…man I haven't played chess in years. Bah!" She kicked the table in defeat and looked at the fish that lay untouched on the table. "I guess I'll take the guys their meals now before they wake up hungry and miserable."

Lyra picked up the plate of fish and went over to where Tor'ka's meal was sitting. Monger had decided it best to tie a rope to it after Lyra's trouble with it last time so she knelt down and grabbed the rope before hesitating. What had happened to B.O.B? She turned around only to find him running circles around Insectosaurous for some unknown reason and she figured it better that she didn't ask. She strode down the hallway leading to everyone's rooms slowed considerably by the cow was she was dragging. Even though she didn't have to carry it anymore it was still very heavy and she wasn't as strong as she would've liked to believe. She also grimly remembered that Tor'ka's room was the farthest away from the common room right next to Susan's room. So she would have to drop Link's fish off first. His room was the first one on the left and built a little differently than the others. It didn't have a door on the back as his room was filled with water but instead had a small latch on top of it similar to the circular one you might see on a submarine. She let go of the rope and knocked as hard as she could on the wall hoping that the vibrations and noise were enough to alert him. Though there were metal rungs leading up to the latch she had no intention of accidentally falling into the water so she refused to climb up. Luckily she heard the squeaking of the latch being turn shortly after her knock and looked up to see Link pull himself from the opening with a very groggy look on his face.

"Breakfast," she called up to him.

"Awesome," he said with a grin as he leapt out of the opening and cleared to the ladder to land on the ground in front her. He ruffled her hair with one wet hand as he took the plate from her with the other. "Awe and you brought it to me too."

She pulled back from his touch and ran a hand through her now wet hair. "I could've spat in it," she told him. She didn't bother attempting to gradually become more open after everything had finally been worked out between all of them as she knew it would be stupid to do so. Her grudges were left behind her and if they didn't act awkwardly then why should she? It was much easier for her to just be herself and move on.

He took one of the fish and slurped it down whole before he considered it's taste. "No you didn't," he said finally with a grin. He then nodded towards the cow behind Lyra. "Do you want some help carrying that?"

"I can do it myself," she told him firmly as she snatched the rope and threw it over her shoulder.

"Sure you can princess," he mocked with a laugh. He put the plate beside his ladder and pulled took from her without much effort.

She frowned at him before clasping her hands behind her back as if she didn't care as she led the way to Tor'ka's room. "Fine then but we've got hurry," she said trying not to look at him for too long. Anytime she did she knew she started thinking about that day he saved her life. It may not have been a real kiss but to her it was her first.

"Why do we have to hurry?," Link asked pulling her from her own head again.

"I'm supposed to have a chess match with Doctor Cockroach as soon as I get back; we're sorta duelling over this snow globe."

"A snow globe? I know why Doc wants that thing he never shut up about it the last time he had one. Why do you want it?"

"Two reasons," she told him holding up two fingers. "One; I need that snow globe in order to build something. And two; if I can beat him he'll have to shut up and let me take whatever I want from his garbage from now on so I can build myself a new pair of sunglasses."

"Why do you need those?" He raised an eyebrow at her and she looked away from him as she stopped walking for a moment.

"Look...I know you guys consider me family and all now...but still I know I'm only human and I can't do as much as you guys. At least with my glasses when we face up against Juggernaut again I'll be able to contribute a little bit. It's not much but I don't want to be useless."

He considered her for a moment before realising she was right in a sense. She wasn't as strong as him or even as fast as Doc. She was smart but that would only do so much against someone like Juggernaut.

"I've got any idea," he said with a grin.

She smirked and clapped her hands a couple times. "Oh good for you I knew it'd have to happen one day I'll write it in the book of big days right in front of the space I'm saving for whenever you're potty trained." She couldn't help her sarcasm...it was just too fun.

"Har har," he said rolling his eyes. "Anyway, I do. You run to your match and I'll take care of Tor'ka and get my plan in motion. So when you kick Doc's ass come back and see me."

She smiled at him. "Sounds like a date Link, and thanks!" She ran back towards the main room hoping that she was half as good at chess that Link thought she was.

Link watched her run off with a dorky smile plastered to her face and he couldn't help but grin. He was glad she had finally worked through all her problems; the poor kid must've been an emotional wreck. He figured she wouldn't have wasted her time trying to gradually open up and become more comfortable with everyone she seemed like the type to move on when she could. He started to head towards Tor'ka's room and took his plate of fish with him figuring he'd sit and eat there before confronting Monger about his plan. He did actually have a good plan and if he could get Monger to go along with it then she'd have absolutely no reason to feel useless anymore.

~~~*~~~

This was easy! Unbelievably easy. The minute she had started the game she was able to visualise each move. Not what move he _would_ make just all of the ones that were a possibility for him. She was able to base her moves on this and was so far able to hold her own against the doctor. However she still was missing two more pieces than he was. But the frustrated look on his face told her that he had expected the game to be over by now and she smiled discreetly at the fact that she was giving him trouble. Though she wasn't sure she was going to win. She wasn't concentrating on the game as much as she should have been. Her mind kept wandering to Link and whatever his idea may be. She couldn't stop her face from getting hot again when she thought of that moment. She hadn't honestly meant date but the words had left her mouth so casually she couldn't have stopped it.

"Your turn," Doc told her with a slightly irritated tone and she realised she had been taking too long to pick a piece.

She stared down the game board and frowned. There was no move she could make without having a piece stolen. But maybe...

Sacrifices could be made in order to win the game. Even if something precious is lost along the way...

~~~*38 minutes later*~~~

"Impossible!" Doc couldn't believe it even as he stared at the board. She had just checkmated him. It had been the closest game he'd ever played and now only his king remained. She had cornered him at the back of the board with nothing but two rooks as they were the only pieces she had left aside from her own king.

"I won," Lyra stated in disbelief. She turned to Doc with a huge grin plastered to her face. "HA! In your face I won!"

Susan smiled and handed the blonde girl the snow globe. "That was an amazing game guys."

"I promise this'll be worth it," Lyra yelled as she started towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Susan asked.

"I promised Link I'd meet him right after the game was over," she told her quickly before running through the halls towards Link's room. She banged on the side of his tank rapidly as she was anxious to find out what he had planned.

"You're gonna break my door that way," Link said as he came out the hatch at the top.

She recoiled slightly in embarrassment and turned her blushing cheeks to the ground. "I'm just anxious," she yelled back at him.

He landed on the ground beside her with a large grin painted on his features. She raised an uncertain eyebrow at him.

"So what's the plan?"

His grin widened even more. "I'm going to train you," he told her smugly.

She gulped and looked up at him nervously. "Train me in what?"


	9. 8: Overcoming Adversity

**Chapter 8 – Overcoming Adversity**

"_Success is to be measured not so much by the position one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome" - Booker T. Washington_

Lyra's knees slammed into the ground as she fell down. She doubled over and her hands grasped desperately at her chest as if she would be able to pull her skin away. Her lungs produced nothing but small chokes of air and refused to take any in. She crumbled into herself and sucked heavily at the air around her. Finally her lungs snapped open and she managed to take in a huge gulping breath. She lay there on the ground for a moment greedily taken in air until her breathing patterns returned to normal. She forced her arms underneath her body and pushed herself back to her feet.

"You son of a bitch," she hissed out through grit teeth.

"Don't get mad at me," Link told her as he pointed a finger at her and tossed the wooden staff back to her.

"How am I not supposed to, do you know how much that hurt you bastard?"

Only moments before she had managed to less than gracefully receive a swift kick stomach which had temporarily knocked the wind out of her on account that she had not been fast enough to block it.

He shrugged and looked seriously at her. "Do you really think Juggernaut is going to wait for you to get back up? No. He'll hit you worse than that and kick you while you're down."

She frowned knowing that it was true. At the moment she was halfway through her first training session with Link. Apparently the fish-ape had convinced Monger to allow Lyra to carry weapons whenever they went out after a monster. So in order to prepare her for wielding weapons he had trained her in hand to hand combat first. Link seemed to be unbelievably well trained in martial arts so when they first practiced that he had no problem kicking her ass. After an hour of spending more time on the floor than actually sparing Lyra was finally able to move to training with weapons. He had insisted on starting with the bo staff claiming that it was the easiest weapon to learn and it would be the best one to use for her to get used to the feel of a weapon. She didn't seem to be doing too well with that either.

"Dammit," she mumbled quietly in defeat before moving into a comfortable stance in order to start another fight.

Link grinned. "That's better."

In the confines of her and Tor'ka's room they didn't have a whole lot of space to work in but to Lyra it was better than having everyone in the common room seeing her ass get royally handed to her. He charged her again and this time she hoped she was ready for him. She wasn't. She readied herself to parry his attack but just before he reached her Link slammed the stick into the ground and leapt over her head landing behind her and hitting her in the back with his weapon. She fell over again and her stick clattered to the ground.

"Damn it all I hate you," she growled.

Link let out a sigh and sat on the ground beside her eliciting a glare from the blonde. "You're focusing too much," he told her. "You've got a big brain but when you're fighting you need to turn it off. Mapping junk out doesn't work so well when you have seconds to make a decision."

Lyra considered him for a moment before sitting up onto her knees and looking at him. "I can't just stop thinking."

"Sure you can, I bet I just can't teach you to do that. That'll probably just happen." He offered her a smile as he stood up. "So how about you just copy my movements instead of letting me whoop your ass with them so when your brain finally gives up on you you'll sorta how to use these things."

"Thanks I think," she replied with a small half smile.

She stood up and examined the bo staff lying on the ground while pulling her hair away from her face. Link raised an eyebrow as he considered her for a moment. She wasn't always that small was she? Maybe it was because he usually hunched over. Her head barely made it to his chin; he had always thought she was much taller than that. Her hands were also very small compared to his.

"You're small," he stated bluntly as he ruffled a hand through her hair and walked past her to the box of wooden training weapons that Monger had given to him.

She glared at him and clenched her fists as she turned pink all the way to the tips of her ears. "Shut up...idiot."

~~~*~~~

With a huge sigh Lyra collapsed onto the ground of the common room and leaned against Tor'ka's side while the big dragon waiting like the others for his dinner to be brought in. Link had come in just before Lyra but had sat down at his place at the table seemingly unfazed by all the training. She, on the other hand, was completely swiped of energy.

"How was your training?" Tor'ka asked politely as he turned his head to her.

Lyra rolled her eyes and groaned as she sank deeper to the floor. "He's crazy," she mumbled casting a wayward glance at Link. "I'm going to have bruises in places I didn't even know could bruise."

"You wouldn't if you had learned how to block," Link called out to her with a grin.

"My God shut the hell up!" Had she not been so painfully sore she probably would've attempted to throw something at him. Instead she just looked away from him and stretched herself out on the floor unsure of when she had slid there.

Tor'ka chuckled and tilted his head in curiosity. "What in the world happened my dear?"

"He tried to teach me how to use weapons so I'd be able to fight," she explained.

"I take it he taught you this by sparring with you?"

There was a long awkward silence before Link burst into laughter drawing all eyes to him.

"Stop eavesdropping!" Lyra wanted to beat him for embarrassing her but she knew all her strength was gone.

"I only sparred with you for the first hour and a half," Link said when he finally stopped laughing. "After that I just asked her to copy what I did. She beat the crap out of herself all on her own!"

She growled angrily and her face went bright red. She had tried her best! Unfortunately her best asset was her speed. However she was a little too fast when it came to wielding the weapons and she had mishandled each one at least twice. Luckily they were all wooden or she'd be missing most of her limbs. The only weapon she'd done even remotely well with were a pair of Scottish Dirk knifes; or at least she had done the least amount of damage to herself with them. Link had ultimately decided that though they would work on those he'd pick a couple of smaller daggers to hide in her boots and such, and that he would also teach her how to use a short sword.

She released a heavy sigh and closed her eyes. Survival was one thing; that only required stamina and speed which she had. But she had never needed to fight very much as Tor'ka never let her fall into any situation where she'd have to. Anything she knew how to do was with her own two fists and had no real technique to it at all. However this training with weapons required unbelievable technique. She couldn't even believe that Link knew who to use all of them but he did certainly seem to be a skilled enough fighter when it came to hand to hand combat that she'd just have to trust him. Not only that but he did a pretty good job of kicking her ass with whatever wooden weapon he picked up.

"Why can't they just give me a big gun," she muttered angrily to herself.

~~~*~~~

The moon hung high and the stars glittered against the pitch black background as the ocean just outside of Ramsgate shimmered with the faint light. The waters lapped against the pale sand but receded quickly when ashen gray feet stepped towards it. They slowly chased the water back as far as it would go before striding into it and shattering its peaceful appearance. Juggernaut took another quick look around to make sure that he wasn't being watched before stepping farther into the water. He adjusted the deceased man draped across his shoulder as the water reached his waist.

"This is too bad," Juggernaut spoke calmly as if the corpse could still hear him. "I could've sworn that you would do much better than the others."

He lowered the man's naked body into the water and watched as it floated for a moment. The moon illuminated the nearly translucent pale skin and bald head before his body started to melt. The water pulled at the edges of it until it stretched out along the surface of the water; its skin nearly invisible against the ocean and its bones no longer existent while it's organs oozed below the water to fall into the sand. And with one final ripple of the tide the last of the man disappeared into the water leaving no trace of his death.

Juggernaut considered the scene momentarily before turning back towards the shore. "I need to change something," he stated with a frown. "I suppose I should start over and do this right the first time."

His powerful legs took him quickly and stealthily back towards his home. A new plan formulated in his mind but there were things that he'd need to take care of first.

~~~*~~~

Tor'ka couldn't help but smile as Lyra yawned and snuggled closer into his side. She had been up for a good deal of the night trying to put together her newest creation. He hadn't quite approved of her stealing Doctor Cockroach's invention in order to work on her own however she had good enough intentions that he couldn't bring himself to make her return the invention.

"_Susan's done a lot for me," Lyra said as she popped the snow globe apart and began to peel away Doc's machine piece by piece. "And I know how to fix his machine...it's so simple."_

"_Lyra," he scolded. "You cannot justify thievery."_

"_Trust me Tor'ka Doc will thank me for this in the end." She paused in her work to look up at him. "I'm going to repay Susan by fixing this thing so she can be normal again if she wants to. I'm sure in the end Doc will forgive me..." Her words trailed off as she focused on her work again and proceeded to ignore him._

Tor'ka considered waking her for a moment and calling it justice; she deserved some sort of punishment for being a thief. But he found after a moment that he didn't have the heart to wake her. Instead he folded his wing around her and succumbed to sleep himself.

~~~*~~~

"_Tor'ka."_

_Tor'ka roused from his sleep lazily but refused to open his eyes though he felt the sun attempting to force them to part. Something pushed delicately against his side and he opened one eye a crack to see eager green eyes staring back at him. With a playful smirk and a fake groan he rolled to the side and captured the small being underneath his arm gently as it let out a surprised squeak. It struggled beneath his arm kicking frantically at it._

"_You're heavy," it whined weakly in a small feminine voice._

_He finally let out a small chuckle and opened his eyes fully as he stood up and released the child from underneath his arm. The small white dragon glared at him with as much anger as she could muster which still ended up making her look terribly adorable. Her color had yet to develop and being only six feet tall and thirty moons old she had quite a long way to go before she would ever achieve it. Though the white suited his youngling well he imagined her scales would turn gold or maybe even the same green of her eyes once she became of age._

"_Dearest," Tor'ka complained childishly. "I believe our daughter has just called me fat."_

_A laugh as sweet as honey sounded behind him and he turned his head to see his mate Shidan'aru smiling gently at him. Her pale blue scales glittered with the morning light and dew that coated her and her narrow pointed head faced him enough that he could look directly into her shimmering emerald eyes._

"_Lin'ara, love, why don't you go see if you can catch something for your breakfast before you make your father cry," Shidan'aru suggested sweetly._

_The small white dragon flapped her tiny wings out proudly before stumbling away through the large field that stretched towards a large town that would one day grow into Los Angeles. _

"_She'll be so beautiful," Tor'ka mused as he brushed his face against his mate's. "Just like her mother."_

_Shidan'aru smiled softly. "She's maturing so fast I can hardly keep up with her."_

_It didn't take long for their youngling to find some food as these feilds were littered with small birds and animals. The couple watched happily as Lin'ara proudly waddled her way towards them with a decent sized raven clamped firmly in her jaws. She held her head high as she dropped it in front of her parents._

"_Wonderful darling," her mother cooed. "You're such an exceptional hunter!"_

_Tor'ka bent down and snuggled his head against his daughter as his heart swelled. "If you continue to be so wonderful at everything I may just have to keep you all to myself!"_

"_You're silly Daddy," the youngling said with a laugh._

"_Tor'ka! Shidan'aru!" The cry startled the family and they turned to find Joseph running towards them. _

_The young man worked as a labourer at the king's palace and due to his fascination with the dragons they had been friends with them since the day they had met. They had shared stories with each other over their years as friends and Joseph had taken a great part in the raising of Lin'ara. It had been raining the night of her birth and instead of letting them tromp around in the cold looking for shelter for her he had offered them his home, small as it was, as shelter for the newborn until the weather was well enough for her to leave._

"_Joseph you seem distressed," Shidan'aru stated softly as she opened her wing to him to usher him closer._

"_You must flee," Joseph urged through panting breathes as he leaned against Shidan'aru's flank for support._

"_What is the matter Joseph," Tor'ka asked as he leaned towards the human man._

"_The king," he breathed out. "I have just overheard the king's orders! He plans to kill off all of the dragons!"_

"_What!" Tor'ka recoiled in shock and Lin'ara cowered against his side for protection. The king couldn't possibly...the dragons had all migrated to this area after the king had offered them refuge on the grounds that they would help him fight any war. Though they were naturally peaceful creatures they had agreed knowing that they would also be protecting their new home. There weren't many places that accepted them. After that one time the Hi'toma accidentally sneezed on a princess then panicked and ate the charred remains in a failed attempt to hide what had happened they had been chased away from everywhere they attempted to live. There were hardly twenty-five left alive in the world and all lived here where they only needed to protect the king's land in return for a home. "He can't do this to us," Tor'ka bellowed angrily. "What could his reasons possibly be?!"_

"_He says that he is afraid that you may all be getting too comfortable here and that you might choose to overthrow him. He knows that you are all so powerful and he doesn't want that power to turn on him. The order was just being sent to the soldiers when I heard all this. Please you don't have much time!"_

"_Let him come," Tor'ka growled as he flared his wings out. "If he fears our power so much than let us show him what he truly need fear!"_

"_You mustn't," Joseph hissed in worry. "You may be able to take many of them on and even win but you can't possibly block all of their attacks and what if an arrow got through? Lin'ara hasn't grown her mature scales yet..."_

_Tor'ka froze and looked down at his daughter. She was his everything and there was no way he would take even the slightest chance that she would be harmed._

"_We will find somewhere to flee to then," Tor'ka said. "Joseph, thank you for what you have done. I hope I will one day be able to repay your kindness."_

_Tor'ka dipped his head in a swift bow before stretching out his wings and soaring into the air. Shidan'aru clamped her jaws softly around Lin'ara's delicate body before following swiftly. They soared through the air and Tor'ka released a cry of warning into the sky in hopes of alerting the other dragons to the problem. Within moments many others joined them in the air though Tor'ka couldn't help but notice that there were still a number of dragons missing from their pod. _

"_The soldiers have already reached the others," Bees'co told him as the massive dark green flew up on the other side of Tor'ka. "The serving wench Natalia came to warn us only moments ago of the impending attack. I'm afraid many families weren't as fortunate."_

"_They won't go down that easy," Tor'ka stated as calmly as he could._

"_Maybe not but it appears as though the king has the entire city rallied against us. I doubt we would all be able to survive much and I won't risk my son's life either."_

_They heard the cries of fury erupt from far below though they were almost to the clouds and everything below them was too miniscule to ascertain the whereabouts of the cry. Tor'ka noticed Lin'ara whimpering beside him and he stretched his neck over to softly nuzzle her._

"_Do not worry, I will never let anything happen to you."_

_Words that were spoken far too soon. No one had seen the enormous catapults being pulled after them or the flames that licked around the large chunks of rubble that were loaded in them. And Shindan'aru was the first to fall. The large flaming boulder had been thrown at such an angle that it nearly went straight into the sky and smashed powerfully into Shidan'aru's underside. Males and females were built differently; while males have armored scales everywhere along their body except for behind their joints and just underneath where the tail meets the rest of the body, the females lack this armor all along their underside for birthing reasons. So there was nothing to protect Tor'ka's mate from the brutal attack and her heart was crushed on impact and Lin'ara fell screaming from her jaws._

"_No!" Tor'ka's scream filled the air as he broke into dive ignoring Bees'co's cries for him to stop. He folded his wings as tightly as they would as Lin'ara flapped hers as hard as she could in an attempt to slow her fall though they were far too small to carry her yet. He heard the sound of the other dragons following him. They were all a family and no one wanted to see another lose both their mate and their child. One of the other females in the pack, being much smaller and faster than him, shot past Tor'ka to scoop the youngling up in her jaws. In anger as Tor'ka flew lower knowing he would get much closer to the ground before he'd be able to maneuver upwards he released a fountain of flames that poured onto the ground to burn many of the soldiers into soot. _

"_Keep going," he hollered as he circled up and around to swoop down again._

"_What?" The mate of the female that had saved Lin'ara stared at him in disbelief. _

"_Many of us have younglings and I won't risk them being hurt. Continue on and I'll hold them off for a while and I'll follow when I can." Tor'ka poured another round of fire onto the people below him and attempted to ignore the screams of protest that erupted from his daughter. The dragons listened to him though knowing that protecting the younglings would be the first priority._

_It didn't take him long to demolish a good portion of the army in order to keep them at bay. However he wasn't fast enough to dodge all of the projectiles the catapults launched at him for very long. One of them connected firmly with his side and broke his wing arm sending him howling and plummeting to the ground. He crashed into the trees below him and instinctively released a breath of fire to ward off any on comers. Pain seared his side but he rose to his feet allowing his broken wing to droop pathetically to the ground beside him. Unfortunately in the trees he made an easier target than the humans. They all came at him faster than he could fight them off. Though he crippled many with his tail and murdered more with his flames it did not take long before his blood began to coat the forest floor. Of course they had known where dragons were weak; they had lived together for the past twelve years after all. He lay wounded on the ground with his eyes threatening to roll into the back of his head. He coughed out a few more pitiful flames. _

"_Sirs there's young one over here coming for him!"_

"_Let's get it, this one is already finished."_

_Tor'ka's eyes clouded over with tears as he struggled to his feet with his last ounce of strength. No! They couldn't have let her go…but he knew her well enough to know that once her mind was set there wasn't a force that could stop her. She would've come to help him no matter what; he had to get to her. The sounds of a youngling's pained wail filled his head and his eyes widened in horror._

"_No! Lin'ara!"_

~~~*~~~

Tor'ka's eyes shot open and he found Lyra staring down at him worriedly with her hands pressed to his muzzle.

"Oh thank god you're awake!"

He raised his head and shook himself fully awake before looking at her. Her eyes looked tired and her hair was thoroughly messy.

"I'm sorry my dear, did I wake you?"

"God damn it Tor'ka," she whispered sadly. "…You had the same dream again didn't you? That's the fourth night in a row."

He froze up. Had it really been dreaming of it that often? Ever since Lyra had been practicing fighting with Link he had had the same nightmare every night. The past few days felt like a blur; he only vaguely remembered Lyra finishing her machine and fighting with Doc about her stealing it and Susan coming with him so he could stretch his wings outside. He finally understood things when he really thought about it; he was worried that now that she were more trained Lyra would attempt something dangerous. Something like trying to save him…just like _she_ had done…

"You said her name in your sleep again," Lyra mumbled quietly. "I'm so sorry Tor'ka. I have no idea what you're feeling, but…if there's anything I can do to help…"

He smiled down at her and pressed his face against her but couldn't bring himself to say anything. Suddenly the room flashed with a red light and sirens sounded. They jolted to their feet and ran quickly to the common room.

"What the hell is that?!" Lyra glared around but found Doc was the only one waiting for them there.

"It's the alarm," Doc told them solemnly. "They found Juggernaut. He's come for us."

* * *

I'm not sure if the bo staff is the easiest weapon for most people to master but I picked it because I found it to be the best beginner weapon for me. It really helped me figure out balance and coordination and was fairly easy to get used to. SO this may not be 100% but I'm writing from experiance so please understand that.


	10. 9: Fixing Some Mistakes

**Chapter Nine – Fixing Some Mistakes**

"_Mistakes, obviously, show us what needs improving. Without mistakes, how would we know what we had to work on?" - Peter McWilliams_

It was strange to be walking the streets of Manhattan without them bustling with people. It seemed as though Monger had managed to issue a monster warning throughout the town and people were not to leave their homes until told otherwise. The majority of people listened to the warning due to the events that had taken place with Gallaxhar and the few people that wandered the streets anyway quickly turned and fled at the sight of monsters. Lyra frowned at the people she did see as they scattered quickly and screamed. The only ones who didn't run were many of the homeless people they passed either because they were asleep or didn't really care.

"I'll give 'em something to scream about," Lyra muttered to herself as another young couple ran from the sight of them. She couldn't believe these guys could save the world and still scare people. They weren't THAT creepy looking; really Susan looked perfectly human just tall and B.O.B was like gelatine for crying out loud. Sure Doc's head was a huge bug head but the eyes made it cute not scary. He was only scary when he did that laugh of his. And Link was only scary when he actually tried to which he unfortunately did occasionally. Due to the fact that he was unable to bother anyone else he had taken a liking to scaring the crap out of Lyra whenever the opportunity arose. She hesitated in her thoughts as she looked at Tor'ka...granted he probably looked a little scarier than the rest.

"Mmm it's nice to get out again," Link said as he looked around with a grin on his face.

"I don't get it," Lyra said as she looked at him and cocked an eyebrow. "If you like the outside so much why don't you actually go out then instead of sitting inside playing with that same old deck of cards all the time?"

"You don't get it do you?"

Susan spoke up before Link could continue. "We DO have all the freedom we want now since saving the world but really would you want to go outside if you couldn't go anywhere without making a small child pee themselves?"

Lyra grinned a little. "I hope that's a trick question because I hate children."

Susan smiled a little herself. "Alright fair enough, but I'd rather not do that."

"Alright Suze I guess I can understand that. Well what about other things? I mean why where the same clothes every day and stuff?"

"The deal was we save the world and we have our freedom," Susan replied with a laugh. "Better conditions unfortunately weren't part of the deal. Anything new we want has to be in Monger's best interests or chances are he's not getting it."

"Well that's just stupid," Lyra muttered. She started to think a little more on what she could do to help them out a bit more. Though it seemed as though any amount would be more than Monger was doing for them.

"Where did they last sight Juggernaut?" Tor'ka directed the question politely at Doc who carried the emergency switch which would summon Monger to get them out of there if anything went horribly wrong.

"At the airport. He had applied massive amounts of makeup and worn a business suit to cover the rest of his body, and sunglasses to cover his eyes."

"Fuck that!," Lyra yelled in frustration earning her a look of disappointment from Tor'ka. "No, I'm serious here! Sure that bastard's wings would've gone away with a suit but he had a fucking fish tail! That doesn't just disappear!"

"You are correct," Doc replied calmly ignoring her foul tongue. "According to the report he was allowed access to the plain under the impression that he was blind a paraplegic. His sunglasses stayed on at all times to hide his eyes and his tail must've been tucked underneath him while he sat in the wheelchair."

"Still doesn't make any sense," Susan said. "To get on a plane he would still need an identity."

"He has one." The news froze most of the group in their steps. "The name he used at the airport even matched the name of the man whose features matched his on Monger's satellite images. His name was Dmitri Jones and he apparently was once an accountant in Ramsgate."

Link stared at Doc strangely. "Monger really needs to stop just giving these reports to you and letting you tell us. This is pretty big."

Tor'ka tilted his head curiously. "Dare I ask what happened to him?"

"That's the strange part," Doc continued. "Apparently there are no records of any activity at all for the past half a year. He quit his job and left his home and wife all in the same day. After that there are no records of any purchases made or anything. It was like he was wiped off the face of the map until just now."

"That still leaves a lot of questions," Susan stated. "Like what exactly happened to him to him before? And why show up now of all times?"

Doc was about to answer when something suddenly grabbed his attention and he looked around curiously. "Did anyone happen to see where B.O.B went?"

Everyone froze mid step and glanced around. It was true; the blue blob was no longer following them happily.

"B.O.B!" Susan cried out and they were sure that her voice covered the majority of the city.

"How didn't we notice he was gone," Link muttered as he went back and peered into one of the alleys while Tor'ka took to the air to take a quick aerial survey. Lyra ran back farther than Link to check the other side of the street. Susan went down one of the side streets as did Doc all the while the five of them called his name out.

Lyra called out to Link across the street, "When do you remember seeing him last?"

"About three blocks back," he yelled back. "When we had to stop him from eating that homeless man."

"Let's go!"

The two ran as fast as they could back they way they had all first come in hopes that they weren't too late. The poor chunk of food was so innocent he probably wouldn't even understand if he were in trouble. They made it back a couple of blocks before turning left in hopes of finding some trace of him. Link nearly tripped when he saw the sight in front him and felt all his adrenaline leave him. Lyra slowed down and came to a stop right beside him.

B.O.B was standing on the street talking happily with the same homeless man he had tried to eat only twenty minutes ago. Tor'ka swooped above them and lowered himself into the middle of the street as Lyra and Link ran to meet up with B.O.B.

"B.O.B, what're you doing," Link asked as he threw his arms down in defeat.

"OH hey guys," B.O.B said as he turned to them with a grin.

Lyra went up and flicked the blob causing his eye to spin around before looking at her curiously. "Stupid B.O.B we were worried about you! We thought that Juggernaut might've gotten you. Why didn't you yell back or something when Susan called you?"

"Sorry guys but I was just looking at the mole on this guy's chin it's so neat!"

There was a long silence before Link finally sighed. "Alright B.O.B we better go now and let the others know you're okay."

Lyra leaned over to look at the dirty bearded man on the street. "You're okay right? He didn't try to eat you again did he?"

He shook his head but remained silent looking as though he were about to either scream or pass out.

Tor'ka nodded his head after the others. "Lyra we better get going."

"Coming Tor'ka," she said running after the dragon as it lumbered through the streets.

"So what weapons did Monger give to you upon our leaving anyway? I'm afraid my memory is failing me; I forgot to ask earlier."

"Oh basically just the things Link told him I wasn't miserable with…though I do sorta wish they wouldn't have given me any weapons at all. I'm not good enough yet to actually use them properly without cutting something off."

"I admit I feel the same way," Tor'ka replied though his reasons for not wanting her to fight ran a little deeper than just nervousness due to her inexperience.

She pulled open the black jacket of Susan's that she had put on to show a Scottish Dirk slipped into the inner pockets of each side. "I've also got a pocket knife in each of my boots," she told him. "They agreed giving me a short sword now would've been a really bad idea."

"I agree," he answered with a chuckle.

Susan had luckily flagged down Doc and they all managed to meet up where they had left off and Link explained to the others what had happened to B.O.B.

Susan rolled her eyes and grinned. "Of course," she said as if she couldn't believe she didn't realize it earlier.

"We better hurry we've still got quite a ways to go before we reach the airport," Doc told them. "And the plane he's on has already landed so chances are he's making his way towards us as we speak."

"I propose that we wait then," Tor'ka said drawing all the attention to him. "He is coming for us. Sooner or later he'll find us. And if memory serves me correctly some of the best predators in the jungle waited for their prey to nearly step upon them before attacking."

"Sounds good to me," Link said. "We don't have to walk anymore and we won't really be taken by surprise if we're waiting for him."

~~~*~~~

Juggernaut wheeled himself calmly into the airport parking lot ignoring the fact that the makeup on his palms was now smeared on the wheels of his chair. There was no going back now; he knew that if Area 51 was even half as good as they claimed to be they would have identified him by now and would be going after his house back in Ramsgate. However he had made sure they would find nothing by burning it to the ground before he left. He'd only have this one shot here to get things right or he knew they'd get to him. He peered through the sunglasses ignoring the offers of help that erupted around him. He wondered where he should start his search but grinned maliciously when he saw the silhouette of a dragon soar above the buildings in the distance. They were making this simply too easy for him.

~~~*~~~

Lyra groaned in boredom and rolled onto her stomach as she swung her feet back and forth in the air. "What kind of soldiers are we," she whined. "We've been sitting here for an hour and nothing! I'm starting to think that we should've kept heading towards the airport. At least then I would've felt productive."

"Lyra my dear you just need to be patient I'm sure this will work," Doc assured her calmly.

She was about to bite out some comment about his impatience during their chess match when a sudden coldness seemed to surround her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and her gaze fell to Link who seemed to feel the same thing. His eyes momentarily jerked towards the roof of one of the buildings and she cautiously looked without turning her head. There he was perched on top of one of the buildings just watching them. It was a waiting game now to see who would make the first move. He must've known that they knew he was there yet he made no sudden moves; he just crouched there and staring at them with soulless black eyes.

"Hey guys look there he is," B.O.B shouted as he pointed straight at Juggernaut.

Everyone leapt to their feet and prepared for him as he leapt from the building only to easily land the thirty story drop as if it were nothing. He still wore the pants from his suit though he had ripped a hole purposely in the back for his tail to break through. His shirt and jacket had been discarded somewhere as had his sunglasses.

"You've been waiting for me," he stated calmly.

"That's right Dmitri," Susan said a little cockily.

"So you _do_ know then." His face grew with a grin that revealed his jagged teeth. "I was hoping you would. I suppose though that that's all you know. My name and perhaps who I once was. Sadly that has nothing to do with who I am now!"

"Care to explain," Doc taunted hoping to elicit some new information.

Juggernaut laughed mockingly at them. "What do you take me for a fool? If I tell you everything then I lose everything. There's no need for you to know."

And with that he launched himself at the group this time aiming for Doc. Susan glared angrily and punted the raging monster before he could reach Doc and he crashed through the building behind Lyra and Tor'ka causing them to bolt closer to the other members of their team. He rose from the rubble and seemed to be trapped in deep thought as his gaze remained on the ground. He began to mumble things to himself still not looking at the group. Tor'ka refused to wait for him to make another move and released a huge breath of fire into the now broken building. It consumed the small shattered opening and Juggernaut was lost in the flames. Soon Tor'ka had to stop for breath and they stared at the flames in anticipation. Nothing moved behind the wall of fire but everyone knew Juggernaut wouldn't be silenced so easily. As if on cue the grey monster leapt through the flames at them his mouth a snarl of rage. Lyra whipped out her dirks and readied herself for him though he never came. The grate just between him and the group howled with an expulsion of wind; it was caught in his wings and sent him soaring into the air where they lost sight of him in the darkness.

"Damn," Link hissed.

Susan frowned and tried to squint into the darkness above the buildings but saw nothing. That's when they heard it; the loud cracking of stone against stone as if it were breaking apart.

"Hey look guys," B.O.B said happily to everyone. "The building is coming to say hi!"

They looked up and sure enough the building that Juggernaut had just been trapped inside was starting to tip towards them. Lyra and Doc leapt to one side while Link and Tor'ka dove to the other and Susan quickly grabbed B.O.B to pull him out of the way. The building slammed into the ground and launched chunks of rubble to the side along with clouds of dust. Lyra used her arm to cover her mouth as she coughed and choked on the air. She attempted to peer through the settling cloud for Doc to ask him if he was okay but her words caught in her throat as she saw Juggernaut lifting Doc off the ground with one hand clamped firmly around his throat. The poor cockroach struggled but unfortunately his asset was his brain not his strength. Knowing she needed to act fast she growled and launched herself at them and slammed one her dirks into Juggernaut's arm. He howled in fury and dropped Doc as a thick black liquid poured from the wound in his arm.

"Stay out of this you pathetic creature," he hissed as he ripped the dagger from his arm. His eyes were filled with hatred as he turned to her. He threw her against the wall of the nearest building and thrust her own dirk through the shoulder of her shirt and jacket. She watched in horror as the dirk became imbedded in the thick cement wall and held in a scream as the blade sliced through her skin. He leaned in close to her and his hot breath skimmed her cheeks. "This has nothing to do with you so stop getting in my way."

Doc had already run to the others and Lyra struggled to pull the dirk free from the wall but it wouldn't budge. She tried her best to shift around but as her shoulder burned and became warm as her blood soaked into her clothes she realized she wasn't near strong enough to rip her clothes free. She swore and watched helplessly as Juggernaut bounced between everyone and managed to hold off their attacks while launching ones of his own. Doc stayed more to the back and made sure to keep B.O.B with him while Link, Tor'ka and Susan did most of the fighting.

"Doc, give me a hand over here," Lyra snapped angrily.

He didn't seem to hear her over the commotion of the fight and she cursed again. This battle was huge and destructive; any car parked near them had been flipped and crumpled by now and any street light had been toppled. Many of the buildings were also crushed in many places and they could only be thankful that they were in business district so they weren't destroying any homes or endangering anyone but themselves. A piece of rubble was hurled her way by accident though it only barely missed her head. She began to panic and started pulling rapidly at her jacket ignoring the pain in her shoulder. She could see that Juggernaut was badly injured and wouldn't be able to last much longer before he'd have to retreat once again empty handed but the fight was still drifting too close to her for comfort. She heard a howl of rage and watched Juggernaut pick one of the fallen lamp posts. She hadn't realized that Link had somehow moved over directly in between her and Juggernaut and that was why that last projectile had come so close to her. This next one was much larger and was aimed directly at her. Her world seemed to stop spinning and everything around her moved so slowly as the next few events unfolded. Juggernaut threw the lamppost at Link and as it spun in her direction it warded off the other monsters enough that he was able to run and slip into the darkness. Link easily dodged it despite the large wound on his abdomen and it was then that they all saw her pinned to the wall in the post's path. She closed her eyes not wanting to see her death as at happened but suddenly the something occurred. A pair of strong hands gripped her shoulders and though the pain at such an action was immense she felt herself ripped away from the wall. She collapsed to the ground and her eyes sprang open as she heard the post crash into the wall of the building before it clattered to the ground beside her. Lyra spun around to see if her savior was okay but she gasped in shock and horror to find that he was anything but. The homeless man that B.O.B had attempted to eat fell against the building and slid to the ground holding the wound on his chest; the bar and smacked against him rather than spear him though there was no doubt some internal bleeding. The pain that was evident on his face threatened to roll his eyes back into unconsciousness but he forced himself to stay awake as Lyra crawled to his side.

"You crazy hobo jerk," she breathed harshly and she laid him softly on the ground. "Don't worry, we'll take care if you just don't use too much effort or you'll probably bleed worse. What the hell were you thinking? Not that I'm not grateful but why didn't you make it somewhere safe?"

He laughed though it came out as more of a cough and he smiled roughly through his disheveled beard. "I couldn't just leave…not when I had finally found you…"

"What? Who are you?"

He coughed up a little blood this time when he laughed. "Of…of course you wouldn't recognize me now… it's been so long and I've changed so much. You...have too…but no matter how different you look…a parent will always know their child…"

"D-Dad?" Her heart froze and refused to keep beating as she stared unbelieving at him. Tor'ka stopped dead and ushered to the others to remain back while ordering Doc to call Monger for a medic.

~~~*~~~

Juggernaut collapsed in the pitch black of the nearest alley behind one of the trash receptacles. His breathing was slightly shallow due to the harsh blow he had taken to the chest from the dragon's tail. Despite his injuries he still managed to choke out a harsh laughter.

"Finally," he hissed out through chuckles.

He stretched out his hands to stare at his findings. A large strand of white hair was clasped in his right hand while a chunk of bloodied green scales were in the other. Coming to America was the best decision he had made. He had half of what he needed; now he only needed to find himself another home and then he could get started again.

He sighed and leaned his head back against the coolness of the stones and let it sooth him. He had come a long way from where he started and he be damned if he let the success that was so close slip through his fingers. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips; he was already damned. He watched as the general's aircrafts took to the air; one helicopter probably carrying the injured human while the much larger jet carried all the monsters back to Area 51. He watched them soar off as he pulled his victory pieces closer to him and bore his teeth in a malicious grin.

~~~*~~~

Monger's aircraft was filled with silence as they all nursed their wounds. Link cleaned and bandaged his own abdomen wound where there was a large chunk missing. Susan padded the side of her head with a large towel to try and stop the blood that dripped slowly through her snow white hair. Lyra sat quietly as she played absentmindedly with her jacket which she had tossed to the floor to so that Doc could dress the deep cut on her shoulder. Tor'ka was the least wounded out of all of them due to his scales though he had received a large cut across his left eye and he figured he would probably never be able to see out of it again. But something hurt him more than any physical wound and he lay solemnly in the corner near Lyra so he could deal with himself. He had been so focused on trying to fight his best so Lyra wouldn't have to he hadn't seen her. If he had been doing a better job he would've noticed that she had gotten into trouble and then he could've helped her and so many things would've turned out differently. Her real father James had passed out before he could explain much to her and had then been carted away in the helicopter to the nearest hospital while being attended to by whatever medics Monger had brought. If he hadn't been so focused on trying to be strong for her then her reunion with her father would've turned out differently. And now they weren't even sure if he would last the night. He wanted desperately to apologize to Lyra but he felt that nothing he could say right now would soothe her mind.

"Hey."

Her voice was soft and quiet and riddled with angst but it was nice to hear it again. Tor'ka turned to look at her only find she hadn't spoken to him.

Lyra's eyes remained glued to the floor as Link came and sat beside her. She reached over and gently grasped his hand in hers though she could barely hold two of his fingers.

"Juggernaut…we'll get him…right?"

Link offered her the best smile gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Damn rights we will."

A smile tugged at the corners of her lips though it never actually came. "Good…"

~~~*~~~

_James Rivers got home as fast as he could when he received the call at work. He burst through the front door his eyes aflame when they met his wife's tear filled ones. _

"_I…I don't know where she is James," Hillary sobbed. "She came home from school I know she did…but now I can't find her…I don't know why she would-"_

"_Bullshit you don't Hillary," James snapped out as he threw his suitcase on the ground. "It because you can't keep your affairs to your own time and you keep dragging Lyra into them!"_

_She froze and her hazel eyes went wide in surprise. "You…You knew?"_

"_Of course I did," he bit out. "I'm not stupid…well I guess I am stupid actually. I was stupid enough to fall in love with you, I was stupid enough to love you so much that I didn't care what you did as long as we could still be the family Lyra deserved. She's your daughter for God's sake, I don't care if you hurt me but you hurt her too! I thought this would end once my brother left…"_

_Hillary was in shock as she watched her husband kick the couch and run his hands angrily through his hair as he paced around the living room. "Oh James…I never meant to…I love her…"_

"_Apparently not enough to keep your affairs to your own personal time and out of the time you should have been spending with your child! I tried my best to tell her that she was still young and must've misunderstood things …I'm going to find her I'm going to fix this." He grabbed a flashlight from one of the drawers of the end table and threw on a heavy jacket. "I'll find her and I'll make things right. Our family may not be perfect but it'll be the best I can give her."_

"_What do you want me to do?" Hillary stepped towards him and reached for his shoulder only to have him smack her hand away._

"_You've already done enough, I don't really give a shit after this point."_

_And with that he left and began to search every inch of the city. Hillary had spend her days making posters and putting them though after months of fruitless efforts she had finally lost her sanity as the guilt overcame her and she took her own life. After that James had started to expand his search by calling police stations all over America and spending them pictures of his missing child. He sold everything he had even his home in order to get as much money as he could to find her. It took him a couple years before his money ran out entirely and he lost his job. In the end he found himself in Manhattan where he wandered the streets he slept on asking anyone who passed by if they had seen her. No one had and soon his appearance had become too intimidating and people began to avoid him. He had spent every night on the street since hoping to see her pass by as there was nothing else he could do anymore. It had taken ten years before he saw her again; all grown up and as passionate as ever. And it would snow in August before he would let the opportunity to finally make things better with her slip away from him. _


	11. 10: Heels Over Head

Sorry for the late update! But here it is finally and I hope you all find it worth the wait!

**To my Random Reviewer:** I have to admit I myself wonder how Link learned martial arts in a prison but you definitely have to admit his moves look pretty awesome. I wish I could ask Pixar the how and why but the best I can offer is my guess. I just think, you know, enough years of boredom and you could learn how to do anything haha. Not only that but if they were ever allowed movies on special occasions couldn't you imagine him going nuts for a Bruce Lee flick and trying to imitate it move for move and line for line? I know I could. And as for Lyra's fighting I'm not sure how to address that into the story without making it one of those really out of place and obvious things so I figure why not make it out of place and obvious here haha. Anyway I figure Lyra would have been good at the sort of dirty fighting that gets you by in a street fight. Not only that but she's the kind of person that is really driven by her emotions and hardly ever by logic so I can see her being a designated ass kicker if she's mad enough which she was in the second chapter when she went berserk. So I think if she were getting trained to actually fight and have to calmly think through her moves she'd be terrible at it and it would probably drive her slightly insane :P Hope that answers your questions a little bit and I look forward to your next review! PS: I can't wait to show everyone what Juggernaut is all about, he was such an amazing bad guy to create!

* * *

**Chapter Ten – Heels Over Head**

"_To fear love is to fear life, and those who fear life are already three parts dead" - Bertrand Russel_

"B.O.B stop hugging him," Lyra fretted as she ran to the blob. "You're going to suffocate him!"

Lyra grabbed James's hand and pulled him out of B.O.B only to have him collapse to the floor in a puddle of blue slime.

"Don't get mad at him Lyra," James said as he attempted to clear the gels from his face. "It's my fault; I just miss hugs and he likes them so much."

She let out a sigh and rolled her eyes. "Well can't you hug Doc or something? At least that won't kill you."

James ran his hands across his short cut blonde hair and ended up slicking it back. "It might," he retorted playfully.

Lyra just rolled her eyes again and brushed the slime off her dirty black track pants. "Whatever you say Dad just try to stay out of trouble for the next bit. I need to go make sure my machine is working properly so I can give it to Susan today." She paused and looked back at him with her eyes narrowed dangerously. "That means no scaring Insectosaurous again...I'm pretty sure the smell of pee will never come off those chairs."

James let out a nervous laugh and scratched his freshly shaved chin as if trying to occupy himself. She just turned back away from him and continued to walk towards her room. She had finally agreed to let Doc into her room to work on the project with her and she had left it in his care while she went to see James in the common room. Her father, though not disturbed by the constant presence of monsters, wasn't adjusting well to life in the complex. He was slowly learning though.

It was strange how he had come to stay in the complex considering he hadn't quite broken into it. Monger had left a young private in charge of watching James after he had been taken to the hospital so that information could be relayed to Lyra of her father's condition. Unfortunately the private had made the mistake of mentioning Lyra's name to James once he had come to. Under force and threat the private had then taken James back to Area 51 with him. Needless to say he was fired on the spot and had his mind swiped; he now constantly told people at the local grocery store what time he got off work and screamed about how the bunnies were all part of a conspiracy and so were their carrots. Turns out the device scrambled more than just his memories. Monger had then attempted to do the same to James who wasn't going down without a fight. The two erupted into a full out fight during which James was yelling his reasons for needing to be with Lyra. After receiving a black eye and swallowing one tooth Monger had called the man respectable and agreed to let him stay with Lyra. Unfortunately James had to return to the hospital before he could be happy and have his numerous injuries nursed as he had not won the fight at all. In truth he hadn't even come close. But after four weeks in total at the hospital since he had last seen his daughter James was let out again and brought to Area 51 where he began trying to make up for lost time with her. He had become good friends with Doc since his arrival but was so happy to have a 'family' again he kept getting himself into terrible situations.

"Lyra, I'm glad you're here," Doc said as she entered. "I was just about to go get you."

"You figured out what to do then?" She took her place beside him and stared at the device he had hooked up to the machine she had rewired. "That looks like B.O.B."

"That's because it is." Attached to some long wires the fell away from the radio antenna on the toaster was a thick loop of blue gel that had apparently come from B.O.B with some hollow tubes running though it to the empty snowglobe fastened to the front. "I discovered it was the perfect substance to use since it'll shrink and grow and is of course indestructible."

"Perfect," Lyra agreed with a broad smile. "Let's get ready to show Susan. Her and Tor'ka should be back from their outing any moment now."

Doc nodded and helped her lift up the machine as they placed the B.O.B belt on top of it. They arrived in the common room just in time as Susan and Tor'ka entered from another exit.

"Hey guys," Susan said as she saw them. "What's with the machine?"

"My dear," Doc began with a smile. "I would like to try my machine again."

"Oh well actually..." Her mind raced with excuses as she didn't want to hurt the doctor's feelings but she preferred her skin not smelling of burnt tires.

"Please Susan," Lyra said suddenly drawing attention to herself. "I really think we've fixed it please at least try it."

Susan sighed and went to sit down in her chair. "Alright guys, but if any part of me sparks or catches on fire then I'm not doing this ever again."

"Fair enough," Doc replied with a smile.

They instructed Susan to slide on the belt which stretched easily enough to fit around her waist but they knew would shrink with her. Doc made sure the wires from his makeshift computer were connected solidly to the back of the snowglobe in the proper places while Lyra made sure the machine itself was set properly. When they both agreed everything was ready Doc skittered down the leg of the chair to take a place by Lyra's side.

"Push it together?" She raised an eyebrow to him and grinned. "I'll let you do the laugh."

And with that Doc let the laughter of a mad scientist erupt from him before him and Lyra slammed the toaster handle down. They watched as sparks flew from the machine and the belt around Susan's waist began to glow. Her fingernails glowed a light green for a second before all the light faded and she was left sitting there staring at her hands. The room was silent for a moment before Susan let out a large sigh.

"I'm sorry it didn't work guys, but on the positive side I think I'm still in one piece."

Lyra grinned broadly and looked over and Doc who smiled back at her before they both turned their smiles to Susan whose clothes had gotten just a little too big for her. It had taken a moment for the machine to work and they all watched as the Quantonium was gradually pulled from her, through the hollow wires and into the snow globe which now glowed a bright green. She fell from the chair and Lyra gasped as she realised something.

"Tor'ka shield her! Her clothes aren't shrinking too!"

Tor'ka lumbered quickly to Susan's side and extended his wing to hide her now normal sized naked body from everyone else.

"Oh my goodness...I worked!" The ecstasy was evident in Susan's voice and it took all her dignity not to run past Tor'ka's wing and hug the both of them. Lyra quickly ran and grabbed some of her clothes and brought them back to Susan who put them on eagerly. Once he was sure she was ready Tor'ka folded his wing back into himself and Lyra smiled when she saw the woman standing there. She had brought her the long black lace camisole that Susan had insisted on Lyra taking as well as the cut off shorts that Lyra had taken to replace her own tattered pair. She glanced over at a Doc to witness the awe struck look on his face and knew that she had picked a good outfit.

Lyra flicked Doc in the shoulder as she walked away to momentarily catch his attention. "Remember I put the egg timer dial around the globe, if you turn it it'll release the Quantonium back into her. Come on Tor'ka."

The dragon followed her quickly out of the common room and glanced over at the blonde girl smiling happily beside him. "You're very proud of yourself aren't you?"

"Of course I am," she replied.

"So where is James?" The jealousy in his voice was evident. It was a well known that there was a rivalry between the two as they both seemed to be competing for Lyra's attention. She had definitely noticed it and had done her best to quell the fighting but they only managed to stop being so outwardly hateful in front of her.

"I'm sure he'll be hanging out with War Monger again since I kicked him out of the common room so he didn't accidentally get himself killed."

"Of course," Tor'ka stated in a tone that also insisted he felt that James was an idiot.

Lyra frowned lightly at him but stopped walking when she saw Link walking down the hallway towards them. Tor'ka continued on as if he hadn't realised she had stopped.

"You're not heading to the common room are you Link?"

"I was planning on it," he replied.

"Well you can't," Lyra said urgently as she put her hands on his chest and stepped in front of him to stop him from going any farther.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "And why not?"

"Because," she insisted. "The machine worked! And well you know...Doc and Susan sorta need some time to themselves."

"Oh," he replied calmly. And then he suddenly got it. "Ooooooooooooh."

~~~*~~~

Juggernaut let out a sigh as the fresh ocean air caressed his face and filled his senses. After stealing a semi and kidnapping the man driving it he proceeded to take the vehicle across the country until he reached the Mexican border. Once there he only needed to bribe a man with a large enough ship to carry him and whatever hostages he had acquired along the way through the ocean. Luckily for him there was a man desperate and stupid enough to do so as Juggernaut never paid him; instead he took the man and his entire crew prisoner. Here on Clarion Island he would need whatever people he could get as there was only one house on the whole island and there didn't seem to be anyone there. It had taken him weeks to hollow out tunnels inside the island so that he could build his new home deep inside the island where Monger's satellites would never find him. He had stolen all new equipment from a university he passed along the way and had taken anyone who opposed him and even killed a few. The police had of course been called on a few occasions but he had either run them off the road or lost them with a few commendable driving moves. They had almost caught him when he made it to the port but since the sailor had understood the word haste there had been no problem getting onto the ocean unnoticed before authorities arrived.

He had spent the last while deep within the island fiddling with his machines and running a few tests. So far only one body had needed to be disposed of. He found the unstable genetics of the bodies of failed experiments became even weaker when put into water and those almost melted away. Though his work now demanded much attention from him his work had become suffocating that the whining human voices annoyed him to no end. The fresh air and silence her sweet like honey to his senses.

Though things were going amazingly well for him he still didn't have everything he needed to be successful. As he looked to the sky at the small light of a satellite that winked at him he hoped the Monger was watching as he smiled and would send his prey right to him.

~~~*~~~

"You're fucking insane," Lyra managed to choke out before she spat up more water onto the shore. "You bastard you don't say 'don't worry I'll hold you' and then let go that only works on bicycles!"

Link fell down with laughter as his tail happily slapped at the tide. With Susan and Doc occupying the common room they had had to figure out something else to do in order to occupy their time. They had decided that she didn't need to train again today as she had been doing really well. In the many weeks since they had last seen Juggernaut she had been doing amazingly well with the short sword as well as the small daggers she stuck in her boots. She hadn't quite perfected her technique with the Scottish dirks though but Link had figured she would never get entirely used to keeping track of two weapons at the same time. Despite that slight setback she was still doing very well with them. Because of this Link had chosen to work on a couple other things with her. The first one was her fear of Insecto which he insisted they get over by now. This had almost been a nightmare. Every time Insecto made the slightest noise Lyra would either freeze in place or scream bloody murder. Finally after half an hour of that nonsense Link had thrown the distressed blonde over his shoulder and carried her onto Insecto's back. Insectosaurous had then taken to the air with the two on his back. It had taken a few moments for Lyra to open her eyes but once she did she was overcome with the sensation of flying with the wind in her face, which she had sorely missed, she had forgotten that she was riding on the back of a 300 foot insect. Insecto had taken them then to the shore of Lake Utah by Saratoga where Link intended for Lyra to overcome her next challenge. He was going to teach her to swim.

So far it wasn't going so well. He hadn't ever taught someone how to swim before and wasn't quite sure that he knew how to since it had always come so naturally to him. Apparently he had no idea how to as she had nearly drowned multiple times now.

"I thought it might work," he answered with a shrug.

"Well apparently it didn't," she snapped angrily at him.

She sat up and rested against her knees she brushed her hair back from her face before sending him a smoldering look. Link was sure that at that moment his lungs stopped working. Though she had intended for her eyes to burn with anger he saw them filled with a different sort of passion entirely. It didn't help either that her clothes, now soaking wet, clung to each delicate curve of her body while the water glistened as the perfect backdrop behind her. He had become so used to having her around he had almost forgotten how beautiful she was. He enjoyed every bit of her. He liked the fact that she didn't bottle her emotions deep inside her; she never forced herself to smile for someone else's sake. If she felt like crying then she cried, if she was angry then she got angry, and if she felt like laughing she would laugh until she couldn't breathe.

"What are you looking at?" Her face went bright red as she turned away from him slightly.

He never answered her he just grinned and stood up as he offered her a hand up. "Alright we'll try this again and this time I promise not to let you almost drown."

It was Lyra's turn to lose her breath. Maybe it was the sun behind him or the fact that he had straightened up; he seemed so handsome standing there. She didn't know when it had happened or even how but she knew that she had fallen head over heels for him. She loved everything about him from his crooked grin to his devil may care personality. She hoped he couldn't hear how fast her heart was beating as she took his hand so he could help her up.

He let go of her hand and walked back towards the lake as Lyra watched him with a quickening heartbeat and flaming red cheeks.

"Link...I think that's enough for today," she said quietly as she turned and started to walk towards were Insectosaurous stood waiting patiently for them to finish.

"What?" He laughed and lumbered up beside her you match her step for step. "If this is because I almost let you drown I swear that was just a onetime thing."

She looked at him curiously though she continued walking. "It happened like sixteen times."

"So you're due," he replied cheekily.

She Lyra shook her head. "No, sorry. I just think I'm done for the day; we'll try again some other time."

"Alright."

They flew back to the base in silence as Lyra sat a good distance away from Link with her knees pulled up to her chest and eyes narrowed in thought. Link stared at her curiously and wondered if maybe he had said or done something to upset her but didn't want to ask. If there was one thing he had learned from the time he spent with Susan and from what Doc had told him it was that girls, when pissed off, were a force to be reckoned with. When they finally arrived back at the base Lyra quietly thanked Link for everything before she made her way back to her room leaving him confused.

"I swear I'll never understand women," Link told Insecto as he scratched the back of his head.

Insecto let out a bellow and seemed to smile as she batted her eyes down at him.

"Nah," he replied as he shook his head. "That doesn't make any sense."

Insecto snorted in frustration and released another bellow.

"Ask her about it? That sounds a lot like talking about feelings to me." The was a long awkward silence as Link realised that was exactly what Insecto wanted him to do. "Awe come on!"

She snorted at him again before turned her head away in protest and began to walk away from him. His bottom lip jutted out in a pout as he slowly dragged himself after her.

~~~*~~~

"Lyra are you alright?" James held onto his daughter's shoulder as she tried to walk past him in a huff.

"I don't want to talk about it Dad," she told him solemnly as she averted her gaze to the floor.

"Yes you do," he ordered as he sat on the floor and leaned against the wall in the middle of a hallway. "Now sit here with your old man and talk about it." He patted the ground beside him and watched as she hesitantly sat down. "Alright now what's got you all bothered kid?"

She hesitated for a moment before answering. "My clothes are all wet."

He laughed at her and smiled. "Somehow I doubt that that's what's bugging you honey. Now let your father do his job and help you with what's really bothering you."

Lyra looked up at him with sad eyes before she leaned against his shoulder for both physical and emotional support. "It's Link."

Though the words were quiet James heard much more emotion laced between them and he put an arm around his little girl. He was both happy and sad at the moment; happy that he was finally getting to take that first step to becoming her father again and sad that it was only because someone close to her had upset her.

"What about him Lyra?" He had a feeling as to 'what' but he felt that it would be better to ask her than just assume.

"I don't want to like him so much," she mumbled. "I can't handle it; all I can think about it how people get hurt because of feelings like these."

"That's not true at all," James attempted to tell her.

"Oh yeah," she snapped angrily as she pulled away from him in order to glare dangerously at him. "And what about you and that woman huh? That only hurt you in the end! I don't want these feelings! I don't want that kind of pain!"

"Lyra Marie Rivers you watch your mouth!" He stood up and returned her look of anger. "You have no idea what you're talking about!" She narrowed her eyes but held her tongue. "My marriage may not have had the happiest ending but I loved it. I loved 'that woman' more than you could ever imagine. People aren't lying when they say without sadness there is no happiness. You can't live your life avoiding your feelings because you don't want them to be hurt because you'll never be happy that way." He clenched his fists slightly before letting them relax as if he had put all his rage into the palm of his hand and crushed it. "When I look back and think about Hilary...I don't remember that she was unfaithful to me; that she didn't love as much in return. I look back and remember when I met her and how happy I was when she said she would go out with me. I remember how she used to hum Elvis tunes when she made dinner, the day she said she would marry me, those little crinkles below her eyes when she smiled too big."

"So what about how she ruined the family do you remember that?" Lyra nearly growled out the words as she stood up.

"Of course I do," he told her. "But when you love someone you won't remember them and hate them because you simply can't bring yourself to. And if our marriage hadn't been happy even for a little we never would have had you. And then you never would have met Tor'ka."

"So? You're being stupid. If I was never born then I never would have met Tor'ka and it wouldn't matter because i couldn't have possibly missed him!"

"Maybe not but he would damn well miss you," James countered. "Don't you realise that it was _you_ who led him to a place where he'd be safe. _You_ who kept him sane all those years. He may not have known you but his life would have been a lot poorer without you in it."

Lyra stared at him in horror her eyes wide and her mouth slightly agape. "Well I-"

"Lyra," he said cutting her off. "I may have failed you as a father before but in the end...would you trade the life you have right now for any other life in the world? I'm not saying the way I acted is acceptable Lyra. But I want you to...to live your life. You damn well better live it."

"But Dad," she started sadly with a voice no longer than a mouse. "What if he hurts me? I mean I...I don't know what to do...I've never felt like this before..." For one brief moment James saw his little girl just the way she had been when she left him and his heart nearly stopped beating.

He pulled her against him into a hug so tight she thought she might suffocate. "I'm not saying he won't hurt you in the end baby girl I don't know. But I bet you anything you'll only hurt yourself if you don't find out."

"So...you're telling me to tell a giant fish monster that I think I love him?" She choked out a laugh afterwards.

James patted her back softy. "Hunny I'm your father I want what'll make you happy, and besides I never said I wasn't a little disturbed or that I wouldn't kick his ass."

She smiled and hugged him tightly in return. "Thanks Dad; I think you earned a few points for that speech."

He held her at arm's length from him and offered her a playful smirk. "I think I should've won the damn game for that speech. I came up with it on the spot you know."

She smiled at him as he let her go and walked away probably either back to his own room or wherever Monger was as the two had actually developed some sort of respectable friendship. She took in a deep breath as she headed to her own room where she hoped Tor'ka was waiting. Luckily for her he was there when she arrived; he was sleeping in a surprisingly silly position with his head upside-down and his tail twitching rapidly against his sprawled feet.

"Tor'ka?"

The dragon snapped to life and spun to his feet as if ready for a fight much like a startled cat. He let himself relax once he saw Lyra standing there.

"Oh Lyra," the smile was evident in his voice. "I was told that Link took you out swimming. How, pray tell, did that go?"

"Terrible Tor'ka," she replied as she went through the pile of clothes in the corner in an attempt to find some nice dry ones. "I didn't learn to swim, I nearly drowned and I realised that somewhere along the line I fell completely in love with a fish."

Tor'ka's eyes sparkled happily. "I had noticed as much my dear. I'm glad that you have finally seen so as well. So what do you plan to do?"

"Well I really didn't want to say anything to him I mean there's no telling how horribly wrong things could go between us. But I was talking to James and he told me I would be happier telling Link then keeping it all to myself." She was careful not to refer to James as Dad around Tor'ka as she knew how much that one word could hurt him. "What do you think?"

Tor'ka released a large sigh. "I hate to say that I must agree with him. A life not lived is not worth living."

She nodded. "Then I guess there's only one thing left to do."

~~~*~~~

Link let out a heavy sigh as he brushed his hand across the top of his head mentally cursing Insecto for convincing him to do this. The fuzzy jerk had threatened never to talk to him again if he didn't talk to Lyra. He didn't even get a chance to knock as Lyra came running out and nearly toppled him. She had changed her clothes into something far out of her style; they must've been clothes Susan had insisted she take. Except for the pants. For pants she had put on her old pair of cut off jeans though they had been cleaned so they looked much nicer now. However as a shirt she wore a dark green blouse with a black ribbon woven criss-cross through the front instead of having buttons to hold it together. Definitely not something Lyra would have taken from Susan's herself but Link would bet that if Lyra had grown up normally something like that definitely would have suited her. If he didn't know any better he would have guessed that she was trying to look nice for some reason. Though he did have to admit she looked amazing.

"Oh Link!"

"Hey," he began awkwardly as he scratched the back of his head.

"I really need to talk to you," she said quickly cutting him off.

"Oh yeah sure what's up?" He was quite relieved that she started the whole conversation; it saved him the embarrassment of asking.

"I just wanted to say...I'm sorry," she began strangely. "For earlier. I just...there was a lot on my mind and I didn't know how to deal with it."

"Annnnd...you do now?"

"Yes. I mean, I think so."

There was a small silence as she rang her hands together and stared at the floor as her mind tried to formulate the right words to say what she felt.

"Sooo?" Link attempted as he found the silence becoming uncomfortable.

She reached forward and took his hand as she finally managed to look him in the eyes. "I don't why but...Link...I think I love you..."


	12. 11: Defeated

**Note to Everyone:** Now that my university professors have actually started assigning homework my instalments may end up being far and few between but they will keep coming!! I also have in the workings the beginnings of a couple more stories included a SEQUEL to Family Isn't Blood ^^ They include a Gargoyles romance for those of you who loved the 1994 cartoon, and a Yu Yu Hakusho action story with some wicked demons and some sprinkled love! I also have TMNT one in the works but I would rather have the plot a little more finalized before saying anything definite. If any if those interest you I'll be posting them soon and those just need to be proof read so feel free to check them out! And don't worry, I know things were a little strange last chapter but trust me they all make perfect sense! I am the writer and I would never fail you! And if I do feel free to do dirty things in my shoes while I sleep...I may be sad but I wouldn't blame you. Please remember to review I love hearing what everyone thinks!

**Mewtrainer: **Don't worry I'm not completely crazy and I already had answers to those questions about authority and Lyra's father before you even asked. So trust me after this chapter it will make complete and total sense and you'll go "Oooooohhh". I right out explain the authority thing so that should be easy enough to pick up on but it's a little fast about her father so I'll write it here just in case. She's learned that staying pissed about stuff gets you nowhere so when she noticed her father was trying to mend things with her and be 'a father' she decided to give him a chance to prove himself. Any other circumstances and person and I doubt she would have done anything but tell them to bugger off and shin kick them. :P

**Random Reviewer:** I totally know what you mean, and though I think he's probably not completely ancient since he was practically the first being to ever try cryogenics (I still wonder how you get frozen in a pose like that haha every time I watch the movie I'm like what the hell were you doing?) so I find him still technically young. But I could see her bugging him about being old more so than letting it bother her. But at the same time I totally imagine her being pissed about him keeping secrets. :P

* * *

**Chapter 11 – Defeated**

"_You can take from every experience what it has to offer you. And you cannot be defeated if you just keep taking one breath followed by another." – Oprah Winfrey_

"Stupid," Lyra growled as she slammed her foot against the wall where it pinned down the defenceless green shirt do she could pull on it. It protested weakly b in the end it was no match for the raging blonde and tore right in half.

"Lyra, please calm yourself," Tor'ka breathed as he went to nuzzle her gently in an attempt to soothe her.

He recoiled instantly in surprise when she spun around and swung a fist at his jaw with such fury he feared she may have broken a tooth had she actually connected.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" As she screamed the words at him she severed the arm of one of the shirt halves. "Don't you fucking dare!"

She let out another rage filled cry as she spun around and slammed her fist against the wall. Tor'ka silently back out of the room as she continued to senselessly beat the wall. He figured he would instead guard the room as she hadn't bothered to put on replacement shirt after she had ripped the nice green one from her body. The dragon sighed; he couldn't blame her for being so upset. Since she had bumped into Link outside their room he had been given no choice but to responsibly eavesdrop.

"_...I love you."_

"_What?"_

"_I know. I know it's really sudden but I...I just sorta realised it."_

"_This is crazy. What did you think would happen if you told me?"_

"_I don't know Link. I don't even know what's supposed to happen in the real world when you like someone. I just thought you should know...I mean I couldn't just keep it from you and pretend that it's not your business or something."_

"_We're practically in prison. What do you want me to do?" Though his tone had been simply confused before Tor'ka could hear the rage rising in it. _

"_I don't know Link! How many times do I have to say don't know anything except that I'm in love with a god damn fish?" The anger in her voice was also beginning to become evident. "But I mean Doc and Susan-"_

"_Are exactly the same! They both have human bodies Lyra! They were both once human and had their lives messed! I have no idea what you thought but I'm not like that! I never was and never will be human! I was hunting fish hundreds of years before Tor'ka's parents even thought of making him!"_

"_What?! Link you're- how old are you?! Wait- I mean...I don't get what you're saying!"_

"_I'm saying: you and me, it's a stupid idea! So just go back to whatever and we'll pretend you didn't say anything..."_

Link had walked away after that and Lyra had stormed into the room screaming how she new attempting to tell Link how she felt was a really stupid idea and she wished she'd never listened to him or James. He wasn't sure where Link had gone but hoped that the fish ape knew what he had done.

~~~*~~~

Link groaned and leaned against Insecto who grouchily moved away from him with a disappointed growl.

"What? What do you want me to do?"

She snorted angrily.

"I'm not saying sorry. We're both better off this way."

Insceto bellowed furiously at him.

"I know! I know...that I love her too okay? I get it. But look at me. Look at me!" He stood up and slapped his chest in an attempt to draw Insecto's attention. "I'm a monster...and she's not."

He was only met with another bellow; this one gentler than the last.

"Well she should care! What the hell does she expect us to do anyway? Start holding hands everywhere and going out to movies or something? That's not the kind of stupid life we live. It's stupid. Even Doc and Susan, it's just stupid."

Insecto stopped replying to him after that knowing that he was thinking right now and the worst thing she could do was bother him while he was doing so. He needed the time to consider what he had just done and he needed to do.

~~~*~~~

"This is a disaster," Juggernaut growled to himself as he let yet another body drift into the sea. Everything had appeared to be going so well until today. Today his last subject had finally been destroyed by the experiments. He had nothing. He had come all this way and was left with nothing. He wondered why Monger had not sent his silly little monsters after him; surely the general had seen him. He had carelessly wandered into the eye of satellites too many times to not have been noticed. What was he waiting for then? Or did Monger know it was a trap? He cursed the old man angrily as he slammed his fist against the water. Nothing. Nothing appeared to be working the way he hoped. He had gotten so close to his goal only to have it snatched right from under his nose. He had let his hopes get too high once things had started progressing and that made his slap of reality that much more humiliating.

"I can't go after them myself," he growled.

They had nearly finished him when he had confronted him in New York but he wouldn't make the same mistake again. He needed to bring them onto _his _territory. And this time he needed all of them. Even that pathetic little human girl that always followed them around.

Suddenly an idea came to him and he almost jolted with the surprise of it. He couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it before.

"It's the perfect plan," he said aloud.

After so long of being alone he had developed a terrible habit of talking to himself, he realised with a laugh. It didn't matter however as no one ever heard him so no one could mock him. His face cracked into a large toothy grin as he made his way towards where he had hidden the deceased sailor's ship.

~~~*~~~

Lyra had finally calmed down enough for Susan to enter the room later on in the day when Tor'ka had informed her of the situation. Susan had since returned to her Ginormica size and now sat in Lyra's room watching the girl sadly.

"Lyra, you doing okay?" Susan had picked the small blonde girl up in her and considered her with a kind smile. "Come on Lyra, you know you can talk to me."

"Why do guys have to be such jerks?" Lyra plopped herself down in Susan's hand and Susan was grateful that the pissed off young woman had finally put her pink tank back on.

"Lyra, Link isn't really a jerk," Susan said calmly in an attempt to defend her friend without infuriating Lyra. "I`m sure if you just talk to him...`

"I never want to talk to him again!" Lyra scrambled free of Susan's hand and fell unceremoniously to the ground. "He IS a jerk! Doesn't he get I've never liked anyone before?! And then he just had to go and...I wish I had never met him!"

Lyra stormed over to the pile of belongings she had slowly developed in her corner of the room and ripped the dark torn coat from the bottom of the pile before throwing her smaller weapons into their proper places on her body. A little while after their last incident with Juggernaut Monger had finally let up on all of the restrictions that were laid upon Tor'ka and Lyra. They were now free to come and go as they pleased just like the other monsters. Tor'ka also didn't have to wear the muzzle at any point in time (as he did before due to certain workers being uncomfortable bringing him anything without it), and Lyra was permitted to keep her weapons in her room though that was mainly because of training purposes. Tor'ka still couldn't understand how Link had managed to convince Monger to allow her weapons with the attitude that she had.

"Lyra what are you doing?" The worry in Susan's voice was evident; she wasn't one hundred percent sure that the blonde wouldn't attempt to decapitate the poor fish in her current rage.

"I'm going out," Lyra hissed back. "To destroy something inanimate before I do something that will get me trouble."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No!" Lyra stormed angrily from the room with her fists clenched together.

Unfortunately for himself James had just been on his way to check up on his daughter and he grinned happily as he passed her in the hallway.

"Hey Kitten, how did things go?"

"Don't fucking talk to me," she snapped at him as she slammed a hand against his chest to shove him away. "I should've never listened to you! I should've never trusted you!"

"Lyra what're you-"

"I said don't talk to me! I hate you! I thought that I'd give you a chance to fix things and be real damn father but it looks like even ten years later you don't know how to fucking do that! I should've have never let you try, I should have never spoken to you!! YOU'RE NOT MY FATHER!" She screamed the last words at him and as she ran from him at that point she never saw the tears pour from his eyes and he began to shake with sadness. She never saw him collapse to the ground unable to find a reason to hold himself up anymore.

Lyra's face was red with frustration and fury by the time she burst into the fresh air that Nevada offered her. She didn't know what she was feeling much less how to deal with it. It felt like her heart was pulled ripped right from her chest; an actual physical pain. She sniffed and held her breath in order to stop herself from crying. She felt....so wounded...so betrayed. She didn't know how long she had been walking but the sun had begun to set and her mouth was very dry by the time she even realised what she was doing. She had continued walking...it must have been the whole day. How had she not collapsed? She sighed; absent mindedness and fury drove her forward. Fury...at... at everyone! She hated her father for not being a father! She hated Tor'ka for not knowing better; he should have told her not to talk to Link! She hated Susan and Doc for being allowed to be so damn happy together! She hated B.O.B for always being so happy all the time! She hated Monger for getting her involved in this whole stupid mess in the first place! And more than anyone she hated Link for being such a stupid heartless bastard!! She let out a furious scream and pulled a small knife from inside her coat as she fell to her knees and began to continuously stab the dirt with it.

"As wonderful as you look enraged I don't believe the ground will give you your desired reaction," cooed a charming English voice behind her as a large hand traced its clawed fingers gently across her neck.

The shivers made her straighten instantly and she spun around and slammed her knife into Juggernaut's leg as she jumped away from him onto to her feet. He let out a noise akin to a roar as he pulled the small weapon from his leg and glared furiously at her.

"Now when you start things off like that they can only get rougher as we go," he hissed angrily through his teeth before he broke into a devious grin.

Lyra stared at him with a pained expression on her face of fury and fear. "I don't know what you want but you're going to have to go through me first."

"Darling do you really think that you can pose any sort of threat to me?" His voice was laced with laughter as he started towards her with agonizingly slow steps. "I promise you that if all that stood between me and my goals was you, then I would have already won."

She pulled out her dirks and poised herself to strike with each blade pointing towards his throat as she took another step back. "Don't come any closer."

He smirked slightly but didn't stop. "Dearest I do believe that if you thought you stood any chance against me you would have tried something by now. I do also believe that you're telling me not to come any closer because your little human mind is racing with all of the terrible things I could do to you." He had the brute strength to take her down but he knew he was far too much like a cat to do so. He would batter and bruise her as he toyed with her and he would only end it when she was left too broken to amuse him anymore.

"You wish," she snarled before launched herself at him, a move she knew he wouldn't be expecting.

She swung her arms at him attempting to slice him open with her dirks but though he had been surprised he was fast enough to dodge each swing. He suddenly jerked forward in an attempt to startle her and throw off her momentum but instead she continued forward and her dirk cut cleanly through his cheek. They both halted in surprise though Lyra's shoulders heaved with each tired breath. Her heart had panicked when he had come at her and though she hadn't let her fear show the strain was now evident on her face as she tried to slow her heart and her breathing.

"How amusing," he told her with a grin and she watched in horror as his cheek seemed to ooze and sew itself back together. "I have to admit I didn't actually expect you to land anything. But do you see now? Do you see how hopeless it is to fight me?"

She fell to her knees and her dirks clattered against the dirt. "Oh god...what do you want from me?"

He smiled at her as he got down on one knee before her and took her chin in his hand to make sure her gaze stayed on his. "I appreciate the compliment darling but I am no god." His smile split open to bare his teeth at her. "I am simply Juggernaut; an unstoppable force."

Her shoulders fell forward with her burden of defeat. Even with all the training she had been doing it was pathetic that she had been like a child in front of him. She was so useless it was pathetic. And now Juggernaut was going to get to her family and there was nothing she could do about it. Though she was furious with half of them right now she wouldn't wish this monster on them.

"Now now Princess don't upset yourself. You're important," he cooed as his hand slide across her jaw line until his claws ran teasingly through locks of her blonde hair. "You're very important. In fact I wouldn't be able to win this without you. Right now, to me, you are the most important person in all the world."

Her eyes were riveted to his as he leaned forward and pressed his grey tasteless lips lightly against hers.

~~~*~~~

"MONSTERS!" The call rang through the halls and echoed into every nook and cranny of the complex.

They assembled quickly in the common room where Monger waited impatiently for them. It certainly didn't help his mood when Doctor Cockroach had to go and retrieve B.O.B who hadn't quite been paying attention and then got distracted counting the shades of grey on the wall.

"Monsters we've got a situation. Juggernaut is _here_ in Nevada."

"Here?!," Doctor Cockroach exclaimed in disbelief. "That's impossible! How could he possibly have gotten across the country without a single alarm being raised?"

"That's because we sent out a nationwide alert to not engage if sited and instead call our 1-800 number...which we may or may not have." There was a slight silence at the fact that Monger sounded very proud of his number which obviously existed. "We've been tracking him across the country, following him the best we could with the satellites based on eye witness calls. We spotted him on Clarion Island a little while ago where it seems he took up refuge for awhile. We would lose sight of him sometimes on the island and we assumed he went underground but this morning one of our spotted him here in Nevada." A grin spread around his face. "He's on our turf now Monsters, let's show him what it means."

"Wait," Susan said. "Guys, isn't Lyra still outside somewhere?"

"That's right," Tor'ka said.

Link's heart sunk. She must've gone outside to get away from him and now who knows what had happened to her. It was all his fault...

"I'll go out and look for her," Link announced. "While you guys look for Juggernaut. It's my fault she's out there..."

"No it's mine," announced James from the back of the room and everyone realised he was there for the first time. His face was pale and his eyes red and puffy from all his tears. "This whole thing is my fault...that she's out there, that she even got involved in all of this. It's all my fault..."

He collapsed again in a heap of sobs and Monger called for someone to take him out of there.

"Sir," one of the privates said as boldly as he could as he passed the men taking care of James. "We've got a problem."

"And what might that be Private?"

"Well sir, one of our satellites just captured this image sir." He held the photo towards them for the group to see.

Nothing mattered anymore after Link saw that image. Juggernaut grinned maliciously at them with his tail curled delicately around his ankles. He clutched the sunken and pale form of Lyra to his chest and her limbs dangled where they could. Her eyes were closed and they knew at once she was unconscious. Maybe if he had said something different to her she'd be in his arms right now not Juggernauts.

"No!" Tor'ka's cry broke through everyone's thoughts and the horror was evident in his eyes. "NO!"

Link placed a hand on the dragon's neck in an attempt to calm him. "Don't worry, we'll bring her back. And we'll finish this Juggernaut once and for all."

* * *

Dun dun dun... ^^ Oohhhh I had so much fun writing this one and having some actual Lyra and Juggernaut interaction. Isn't he the creeps? i have to admit that is was makes him a cool bad guy is his mind games and deviousness. Alright everyone we're almost there to the end! I promise Juggernaut and all his creep and cool and evil will be explained next chapter. Ohhh only I know what happens after that.


	13. 12: The End Is Nearing

Sorry this last update took so terribly long! This chapter was one of my favourite and I wanted to get the ending just right; I'm not sure if I did yet but I hope you enjoy in anyway. Also I managed to catch a terrible flu and had plenty of midterms but now I'm on break!! YAY!

Just to avoid more lack of confusion for timelines each ~~~*~~~ in here you can assume a considerable amount of time has passed. At the very least an hour will have passed. Considering I'll have to cram a lot of boring travel into this chapter from Nevada Desert to Clarion Island (really little island by the way didn't make it up :P). As I have never travelled that distance myself I can only assume how much time would pass. So you can insert however much time you believe would pass during each ~~~*~~~ Horray! I would like to point out that it was sunset when Juggernaut found Lyra and is now the middle of night.

Random Reviewer: If you're talking about the border guards that was because they were told not to engage. Or the guards that 'may or may not' be guarding Area 51 well I decided that either they aren't really there in order to not make the place look suspicious and if there are any guards at Area 51 (I don't know if there are) he was able to move into the ground like he did at the beach. It is after all a desert filled with sandiness.

Anyway here it is!! The next Chapter will be the final chapter in this series!!

* * *

**Chapter 12 : The End Is Nearing**

"_A hero is no braver than the ordinary man, but he is simply braver five minutes longer." – Ralph Waldo Emmerson_

Lyra shifted slightly and groaned as she started to regain consciousness. Her eyes attempted to remain glued shut and her limbs felt like lead. Finally she managed to get one eye to flicker open and she winced as the light poured into her mind and forced her to close her eyes again.

"It's all light from battery powered fluorescents," came Juggernaut's smooth voice. "They do take awhile to get used to."

She forced both her eyes open again and this time rapidly blinked her eyes as to slightly dull the pain. However once she was able to properly see she wished that she had kept her eyes closed. She was in Juggernaut's home beneath the earth of Clarion Island trapped beside one of his larger machines. It was a computer that was as tall as her with more buttons and toggles than she cared to count. There were thick black accordion tubes attached to the back that led to glass containment units Lyra knew were intended for her family. She stared around the rest of his tools; most were lab tools that one would use for chemistry or dissections. They all made her stomach churn. Though the lair itself did a wonderful job of making her sick. The whole area was made of greyish-brown clay that was like an extension of Juggernaut; he was able to move throughout it and move it as he pleased.

She watched it almost ooze as it pulsed in tune with his heart; dirt wasn't supposed to that.

"Do you know where you are?" He knelt in front of her as he asked the question. When she continued to blink and look around the room he reached over and took her chin so and turned her face to his. "Lyra, do you know where you are?" He repeated the question with slow deliberation and waited patiently for her answer.

Her eyes danced away from his for only a moment before locking her gaze with his again. "I'm...in your...lair?"

He let out a deep chuckle at the word 'lair' but nodded. "That's right, do you remember anything before that?" He needed to check her memory; if anything were wrong it could change the results of her test.

"The...desert," she replied and her face went bright red as she remembered the kiss he placed on her. She resisted the urge to strike him knowing that anything she did was futile.

"That's right," he said again before he stood up.

"How did we get here," she demanded quickly. "Where are we exactly?"

"I brought you here," he told her simply. "That general of yours is quite easy to evade. He had no guards posted around Area 51; thought it might be too obvious I suppose. It doesn't really matter though; you had wandered far beyond the borders by the time I found you."

"But...how did you get me back?"

"I carried you of course. It seems as though the general must have some sort of announcement out to keep away from me if seen." He chuckled quietly. "Either that or I've just been terribly lucky that no one has engaged me no matter where I go, even when I steal. I had a truck waiting outside the desert; I carried you to it. You've been out for the entire trip my dear."

"They probably tracked you," she bit at him. "They know where you took me!"

"I'm counting on that Lyra," he told her and she flinched at the sound of her name in his voice. "You're the bait. You're what will bring them to me."

"They aren't coming," she said quickly knowing that she was contradicting her last statement. "They know it's a trap."

Juggernaut growled as he turned to face her. "And that's where you're wrong. They _will_ come here. They'll come here whether you want them to or not because you're here. We're going to finish this today." He reached towards her and pulled his claw gently down the side of her cheek drawing a thing line of blood.

Her eyes fell to the floor and she stretched her legs out to sprawl in front of her as he started to walk away from her again. Was it really that hopeless? She leaned more against the computer behind her and felt something press against her back. Her short sword! He hadn't taken it off her. She figured her dirks would still be lying in the sand of Nevada but she slowly reached towards her boots to see if her knives were still there.

"They won't do you any good," he told her without looking back as he began to check the connections of the containment units. "If I had thought that you would be any sort of threat you wouldn't even have those."

Her hand stopped just short of her boot and instead she pulled her knees up to her chest and took her coat off and placed it on the ground. She wrapped her arms delicately around her legs and furrowed her brow in thought. It took everything she had not to pull out the sword and leap at Juggernaut despite what he had just said. Somehow her mind had come into play and all she could manage now was thought. She was trying think of a way out or maybe a way to warn the others of a trap. Right now all that came to mind was something that she felt Doc would do; try and learn as much as possible until an idea occurred.

"How does this all work," she asked him as it was the only thing that could come to mind.

He looked at her over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow. "A generator of course. They don't require a terrible amount of power so a generator keeps the machines running and the lights are all run on batteries." He told her this with an apprehensive tone in his voice unsure of whether he should've said anything at all.

She frowned at him. "I could see that," she snapped. The cords running from the machines to the large whirring one in the corner were proof enough of the generator. "I meant…how do you work your machine?"

"That, my dear, is for you to find out later," he purred. "If I told you now it wouldn't be fun."

She felt the ground moving behind her as his grin broadened and startled she leapt to her feet and started to run from it. However the wall behind her stretched out like a hand and grabbed tightly her right hand which had been just a little too far back and a good handful of her hair. Lyra let out a yelp as her feet flew out from underneath her and she snapped back against the wall. Her arm was pinned at an awkward angle and she could only pull her head slightly away from the wall due to the amount of hair that had been consumed.

"They'll be here any moment now," Juggernaut told her as he turned back to face his machine. "I want it look like we haven't been getting along."

"They'll defeat you," she told him determinedly her voice barely above a whisper.

"If that's what you believe, then believe in it," he answered with a cruel smile. "Believe in it with all your heart."

She was silent for a moment as she watched him work on his 'computer' with his tail twitching with every evil thought. How could someone once human turn into such an evil creature?

"What...happened to you?" Her question was quiet but his movements ceased as if he had just been turned to stone.

To him the question was more powerful than any physical blow and more warming to the soul than he was sure the flames of hell would be when he got there. He always figured that all he would ever be asked was why he did the things he did. Whether this small human girl realised it or not she had just asked the most important question anyone could have. He let his hands fall away from his machine before he looked over to her and seemed to really see her for the first time.

~~~*~~~

Tor'ka let out a roar that echoed across the desert as he burst through the hangar doors the jumbo jet usually used. He hadn't waited for them to fully open and one of the doors was sent flying into the night. Sand slid off his outstretched wings as he curled to the side to make his turn. He had memorised the map Monger had shown them easily due its importance and as a dragon had a natural sense of direction. He could hear Susan calling out to him through the blackness but nothing could break through to him now. He was exactly what they all feared he was; a monster. But more importantly he was a father. Right now there wasn't a force in the world that could stop him.

It was true what was said about the of loss child no matter what species; no parents should ever have to bury their child. Tor'ka didn't even have the ability to do that. He had never actually found the youngling's body and the thought still devastated him today. The memory of his mate and youngling would never leave him; they would forever be his family. But now there was another who needed him. She may not have been his flesh and blood but she was his. And damned if he would let someone take that away.

Another roar forced itself between his teeth and he split his mouth open to release it. He was sure the others were already following him so he didn't bother looking back as he powered forward not caring who saw him.

~~~*~~~

"Why would you ask such a foolish question?" He walked over to her and ran his knuckles along her jawline.

Lyra refused to flinch at the touch and stared right into what was left of his eyes. "I don't believe...that people are born evil. I believe they are made way. I'm curious...I asked because I want to know what made you this way."

"You would like to know why I do these things to you and your 'family'," he said hoping that she would confirm this as the truth of her question.

She didn't. A frown crossed her face. "No, that's not what I said. You do these things because you're evil. I want to know what made you evil."

Without warning Lyra found herself pressed against wall in an awkward hug. Her eyes went wide in shock and she found herself unable to force any words out of her parted mouth.

"Do you realise you are the first person to ask me that?" The words were so breathless she almost missed them. "Even my wife...she never asked what had happened."

Lyra slowly stopped bristling and turned her head as much as she could to look at him. "Your wife...I remember Doc had said you were married. You were also an accountant."

"Yes I was. That feels like it was so long ago," he said knowing very well it wasn't. Only seven months or so had passed since his life was turned around and though in a sense time had passed quickly for him there was also something about it that seemed to continue drag on. Possibly that he hadn't let go of it yet.

Lyra considered him for a moment and found that somehow he looked very....'human' at the moment. He wasn't showing one of his startling grins and there was no malice laced in his eyes this time. "I'm sorry," she said before she could stop herself. All she could think of was the look she had seen on her father's face when she left. It was the same as Juggernaut's right now. That look of pure and utter hopelessness like that last thread you had to hang onto was just about to snap. She now wished she hadn't said those things to James...he may not have been the father she wanted or the one she needed, but he was still her father and he had been trying. She couldn't even begin to imagine the pain she had put that poor man through. If she ever made it out of this...

"Thank you," Juggernaut said quietly. "Perhaps if the people in my life before had been as apologetic none of this would've happened."

"What _did_ happen?"

"I saw the future,' he said simply. "And its name was Kote." He finally moved away from her so that he could look her in the eye as he told his story. "I met Kote on a Thursday...I believe I had known him all along and never really realised it. I like to think that he's living happily now but I don't suppose he'll ever be happy as long as he's alive. I was on my way home from work, and I was walking the entire way because I had missed my ride due to having to work late again and I was too cheap to call a taxi. It wasn't a terribly long walk home; just long enough to deter most people from attempting it. It's strange to think that everything could've been avoided had I only called for a cab, or perhaps even walked home on a separate path or even on the other side of the street..."

~~~*~~~

_Dmitri yawned as he continued on his way home. Luckily it was summer so it wouldn't be dark for at least another two hours though it was still muggy enough outside to maintain a dreary atmosphere. His eyes were tired and threatened to close on him at any moment. As he wandered the sidewalk which was happily emptier than usual since most people were at home already. That's what made the young man sitting on the old Bus 48 park bench so noticeable. _

"_That bus doesn't run anymore," Dmitri said as he passed the man._

"_I know," the man replied simply as a light breeze tussled his blonde hair. Dmitri ran a hand through his thick brown hair feeling slightly self conscious of how dishevelled it must've looked in comparison to the straightness of his nice black suit and pressed teal tie. _

_Now what he should've done was kept walking. Instead what he did was pause in his step and walk over to the blonde haired man. He couldn't have been much older that Dmitri himself who had only just turned twenty-five last month. "If you know the bus is never coming then why are you sitting there?"_

_The blonde looked up at him with a smile as sweet as honey. "Because I'm waiting for a bus."_

_He wore a long black overcoat as well as a pair of worn jeans and some dress shoes. Though a scarf striped every different shade of blue was wrapped around his neck to ward off the cold he had no suitcase to prepare him for travel._

"_That doesn't make any sense," Dmitri stated. "You can't be waiting for a bus that you know isn't coming."_

"_And why not?"_

"_It's just silly that's why," Dmitri said with a huff. His cheeks puffed slightly as if he had never been so offended by a question in his life._

_The young man just smiled. "You always seemed so practical Dmitri, I knew you wouldn't understand."_

_Dmitri's heart stopped beating for a second and he stared wide-eyed at the stranger. "Do I...Do I know you? You were from my high school weren't you? No I know, you were one of Cynthia's relatives from the wedding."_

"_There you go always trying to be so rational with your silly logic," he replied as he shook his head and turned back to stare down the road._

"_Then how do you know me?"_

"_Because I know everything," the man replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. _

"_That's impossible," Dmitri breathed out._

_He shook his head. "Not impossible," he replied. "Certainly not impossible." He smiled again and offered a hand to shake. "My name is Kote."_

_Dmitri never took the hand. "How can you know everything? That doesn't make any sense!"_

"_Of course it doesn't. What does now a days?" Kote's hand slowly fell into his lap. "Nothing."_

"_How," Dmitri demanded again. He wasn't quite sure why he had stayed; why he didn't just leave the moment he started to think that Kote was crazy. Looking back on it later he would think that it was due to his curiosity and this sneaking belief that Kote wasn't all that crazy._

"_I know everything because I can see everything," Kote replied his voice carrying a much more sombre note to it. "Can you imagine what it would be like to see the past, present, and future of everything and everyone?"_

"_That would be incredible," Dmitri answered as he sat on the bench beside Kote and stared at him in a strange horrified awe. _

"_No," Kote told him. "I can't imagine that anything is more painful than living someone's life before they've had the chance to and watching their horrors and their pains. Every time a child is born anywhere on this planet I know their life. I've experienced such things that all I can do is smile and hope I change them even a little bit by adding a dash of happiness to their day if I ever have the pleasure of meeting them."_

"_What about me?"_

"_Do you want the truth?" In the end it was probably that single question that changed the lives of so many._

"_Yes." The answer itself was so small that it should've been insignificant but in the end it was that one world that shattered worlds._

"_I saw your life a little after I was born; I remember so clearly because somehow I knew that the man I saw you talking to right here was me. I saw you scrap your knee when your best friend pushed you off the slide and your first kiss at prom with your lab partner, and your wedding day to your high school sweetheart in your parent's backyard. I see Cynthia having an affair with your boss every time you don't come home to her because he makes you stay late...I see that you find out only because I tell you. And after that...your future is constantly changing like Fate hasn't decided on something for you yet. Or perhaps because your future still has the ability to change. I believe it is the one thing in the world I will never know."_

_Dmitri hadn't heard much of what Kote had said after the part about his wife. He wanted to yell at the blonde and discredit his abilities but how could he when Kote had known the other little events of his life? How could he guess that he took his lab partner to prom? Or where he had gotten married? Dmitri opened his mouth to say something harsh but Kote cut him off._

"_I know you're going to tell me I'm a liar and a bastard. And that when you walk away from me you will mumble to yourself about how you don't know what you were thinking by humouring some crackpot with your conversation."_

"_What the fuck are you," Dmitri demanded as he clenched his fists angrily. _

"_I'm...the future." There was a certain sadness to his voice as he uttered those words. "But I won't survive to see it. I'm only here to pass on the message so that those you evolve properly will live through it. The world...it's going to end you see and I evolved so that I could warn humanity of it. But no one would listen."_

"_And what did this future look like," Dmitri spat out with a voice laced with malice._

"_It was full of monsters," Kote whispered. "Not a single human survived...we didn't have the ability to. But there were some....some that evolved. That became different; that became the future of the human race...it was both scary and beautiful seeing the life of this child who was just born. A young girl in Ireland...she lived to see it."_

"_Monsters...?"_

"_Crazy I know," Kote smiled happily up at him. "It a shame that it's already too late for everyone still living."_

_In a flash Kote's eyes widened and he watched in shock as Dmitri's future suddenly spread out before him. It swam in front of his eyes so fast that he feared if he blinked he would miss it. So that's what Fate was waiting for; their conversation to change his future. To decide what he would do._

_Kote turned to him with a smile laced in his eyes though his mouth was a thin line. "What a strange future you have just decided upon."_

_Dmitri's eyes fell to the ground. "I only know what I decided to do just now..."_

"_And what was that?" Kote knew the answer already but he wanted to hear Dmitri say it. He didn't want to catch his bus and have Dmitri change his mind._

"_I'm going to save those who deserve to live. I'm going to create something...some sort of serum or something that can change them so that...whenever the world ends they don't have to die just because they were born at the wrong time. If my wife really is cheating on me then...then I suppose it doesn't matter what I do anymore. I mean I don't have to concern myself with her. And if I lose my job it doesn't matter if I do because the world will end before I'm dead anyway."_

"_And what if the future changes?" Kote's question was a simple one but implied so many things. _

"_If it does...then I don't know. But I won't take that chance."_

"_The future...is a very fickle thing Dmitri. Most of the time it prefers to stay on its track but sometimes it'll make exceptions and it'll flip like a coin," he told the brunette as he stood up to the sound of a bus. He saw it coming towards him and Dmitri raised a curious eyebrow. _

"_It won't stop for you...and I don't care! I don't want to take the chance that my life means nothing."_

"_I'm glad I was able to meet the person who would change so many lives," Kote said with a sad smile. "Being...super...isn't all it's cracked up to be though, remember that."_

~~~*~~~

"The bus stopped for him," Juggernaut finished solemnly. "He stepped right in front of it. I got to watch as he died." He his eyes met hers for the first time since he had started telling his story. "When I found out that he had indeed been telling the truth about my wife by promising my boss that I would stay late and leaving anyway I realised he was right about everything else. So I left my wife and quit my job so I could start work on my project. I was my first test subject...I suppose I didn't really think that one through. As you can see though I didn't turn out as perfectly as I had wanted to my experiment had worked. But after myself nothing seemed to work. Humans are made of mostly water and my experiments would make their genetics fundamentally unstable and so they would melt. Your family, Lyra, is the key to saving the rest of the world."

"What?" Her voice was laced with horror and intrigue.

"Your friend Susan, if I'm not mistaken she has a special element in her. I analysed it from a sample of hair I retrieved during our last fight. This element, I believe, has the ability to make any human thoroughly strong if I can replicate it this would be an asset in whatever the future may hold as I have yet to know if we are the only things adapting. Your dragon friend; somewhere in his genetics is the key to a long life. I'm sure the assets of that need not be explained. The blue gelatine seems to be indestructible and doesn't feel any pain. Can you imagine it? In a world where everyone is like that there would be no point to starting a war because no one would ever we able to win. As for the fish man and the cockroach; one of them is a missing link while the other is a successful merging of DNA. They are the keys to bringing everything together." He smiled that terrible grin of his and in an instant the Juggernaut she had always known returned. Lyra let out a small yelp as the wall that had wrapped itself around her pulled her up towards the ceiling to dangle her precariously above the floor. "I'm sure they'll all be here for you soon my dear, we can't have it look like we were too friendly now can we?" Lyra couldn't help but cringe at the pressure that was being put on her wrist from the terrible angle and the intense pull on her hair. She must've been dangling a good twenty-five feet above his head and she forced herself to look down.

"I don't care if you think you're saving the world," Lyra screamed at him as she used her free arm to pull herself a little to take the awkward pressure off her confined wrist. "You can't just do this! It's not right!"

"And what will you do to stop me," he hissed up at her. His mood and changed so fiercely it nearly terrified her but she couldn't find it in herself to be surprised enough. He had had a moment of weakness and Lyra doubted another one would occur any time soon. When she found herself unable to reply he grinned again and turned back to the machines. "My dearest, don't talk about these things when you have no idea. I don't just _think_ I'm saving this wretched world, I _know_ that I'm the only one who can. Now stop your fidgeting; as far as you're concerned that's rock you're trapped in."

He made the rock twitch slightly and Lyra screamed as she lost her grip with her free hand and her wrist snapped as her full body weight pulled down on it. Pain seared through her and she bit her lip to keep from crying as darkness started to creep into the corners of her vision. Her eyes fell to floor as her body went limp and she managed to cast one last wayward glace at Juggernaut before her eyes finally closed and her head fell back. If she didn't know any better she would've sworn he looked...sad.

~~~*~~~

Tor'ka pitifully coughed out a few flecks of flame at the walls of his container and saw Juggernaut's malicious grin from the other side.

"Come now, you've been trying that for a good half an hour now and it's not getting you any farther than it did then. I'm sure your travels through the island must have you exhausted, now just relax."

Tor'ka bore his teeth and growled at Juggernaut though he couldn't manage much more than that. The large tube connected to whatever was holding him kept regulating a gas through the tank that made him increasingly tired and weak and seemed to slow down his reaction speed though it didn't quite put him to sleep. And Juggernaut was right otherwise; there had been too many close calls trying to make it to his lair for him to have retained all his strength. Once they had landed on the island, the others flown by Insecto, the giant butterfly had agreed to wait patiently beside the island in order to not sink it while the others went inside. Once they had found an entrance to one of the tunnels Tor'ka had barely managed to fit inside and Susan had to remain with her Quantonium locked up if she wanted any hope of fitting inside and not bringing the tunnels down around them. They had almost gotten lost or injured in the tunnels more than once before Juggernaut had trapped them one by one and put them in his cells. Tor'ka took another look around and his eyes watered when they fell on Lyra again. She dangled unconscious in an awkward position due to the pull on her hair and her broken wrist. He released a sad bellow that vibrated though the island and Susan, who was nearest, weakly pressed a normal sized hand to the glass in an attempt to comfort him.

"She'll...she'll be okay," she breathed out as best she could with a weak smile.

The poor giantress had once again had the Quantonium pulled from her and was scratched beyond belief from tripping and taking a tumble through the tunnels. Tor'ka tried to accept her words but seeing Lyra in that state pained him greatly. He bellowed again in an attempt to wake up again but just stared at her sadly when she showed no reaction. Link cast a sideways glance at the distressed dragon and sighed.

"There's nothing you could've done," Doctor Cockroach told him quietly from inside his own unit. "I have a feeling that if this was Juggernaut's plan all along we never had a chance of stopping him."

"Maybe not but..."

"Enough of this," Juggernaut hissed as he threw his fist down onto his computer. "I'm tired of hearing you talk and I haven't the time to waste listening to you go on about things I don't care about."

He made the part of the ceiling that clung to Lyra jostle slightly and with a groan of pain at her wrist her eyes clenched before snapping open. She twisted for a moment before tears sprang to the corners of her eyes at the fire of pain that spread through her arm. Her eyes fell instantly to Tor'ka and her expression fell drastically from one of physical pain to one of heart wrenching emotional agony.

"What happened," she whispered in horror.

"I captured them just like I said I would," Juggernaut replied with a smug grin as he started to adjust some of the dials on his computer.

"Let them go!!" Her scream echoed against the walls but Juggernaut pretended not to hear them.

Tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes as Tor'ka finally gathered the strength to meet her gaze. He was such a magnificent creature and she had never seen him looking so weak before. Even Susan looked pathetic collapsed against the side of her container. Lyra's eyes followed them until she managed to see the slight discoloration of the gas being pumped into their tanks. She hoped they weren't injured too badly and wondered if they would be able to hold their own against Juggernaut if they were free. Of course they would be able to; they were monsters. They were _her_ monsters. The question was how to get them out of there. Her eyes slid across their faces but froze when they met with Link's. He offered her a small grin and pressed his hand to the glass. Lyra wished she could offer him the same smile in return but she couldn't; she knew what Juggernaut was planning for them. Her eyes moved and locked onto Juggernaut who was focused on inputting commands into his computer.

"Please let them go Dmitri," she pleaded. The use of his real name caused him to hesitate in his motions. "It's too late for everyone...even...even if you're right. Even if this worked do you really think anyone would take your word for it? That's...Kote didn't think anyone would believe him either."

"He said I would change lives," he howled back at her as he turned his harsh gaze up to hers.

"You have...you...you changed mine," she offered him kindly though her voice quivered as she tried to hold back her tears.

He cracked an angry smile and glowered at her. "Don't try and sweeten me up Princess."

"Then you changed the lives of others," she snapped back. "All those people you killed for your stupid plan!! Think of the lives of all the children you changed who will always wonder why their father never comes home to say good night anymore!! Or the parents who will never have their daughter or son come home to them again! You changed their lives with your stupid experiments! You ruined their lives forever! Kote wasn't wrong you just heard him wrong and went just as crazy as he did!!!"

"Shut up!!" Juggernaut screamed at her and the room seemed to shake with is anger. "This will work," he told her with a voice strained from the effort it took him to keep it calm. "It will turn you into the perfect monster and then we will save the rest of the world's deserving people. You'll see..."

Her gaze fell on her family again and she felt as if her heart had just been crushed. She was just the little human. The pathetic little human that followed them around and just made problems. They were always protecting her; always keeping her safe. Yet she hadn't done a thing to make their lives easier or better. Not anymore. It was her turn to protect them; all she needed to do was get them free. She did her best to ignore the pain of her wrist as she reached behind her and slid her fingers desperately over the hilt of her sword. She pulled it from the sheath she had strapped to her back and her arm fell limply to her side as if it had taken her a world of effort to move.

"What are you doing dearest," Juggernaut scolded. "You're being foolish. It doesn't matter how sharp that sword is you'll never cut through stone with it."

Her breathing had begun to get heavy and she looked back at Tor'ka who was watching her curiously but didn't seem to have the energy to do much more. She looked back at Link whose eyes were wide as if he knew what she wasn't thinking. She knew the glass containers were no match for them just that they were simply too weakened due to the gas and couldn't find the strength to break free from them. If she could cut the lines they could break free stop Juggernaut. Lyra couldn't help herself anymore and the tears she had been trying so hard to hold back spilled down her cheeks as she released a few terrified sobs.

Juggernaut tilted his head curiously at her. "What in the world are you planning my dear?"

"I'm finally going to contribute; it's my turn to save them," she whispered. "I just hope that they destroy you."

"NO," Link hollered through the glass but Lyra never heard him with the blood pounding through her ears.

She knew the sword would never be able to cut through the stone as she closed her eyes and swung it around. That's why she angled it a little bit lower. A scream tore out of her lungs and the sword sliced easily through her hair and cleanly through her broken wrist. She fell to the ground and broke into a run while she had enough adrenaline and energy. Juggernaut was frozen in awe unable to believe that the little human had just cut off her own hand in order to escape. The moment was all she needed to swing her sword through the hollow tubes at the back of his computer.

"No!" Juggernaut hollered with rage. He clenched his fists and the whole island seemed to shake with his rage.

The gas still being pumped out burst into her face and she nearly collapsed but used the last of her energy to flash a winning smile at Juggernaut. It lasted for only a second before the ground curled up and slammed against her sending her pale body flying into the back wall where it was engulfed in a cloud of dust and rock. Tor'ka's roar of fury filled the room and in seconds the unit that had been holding him securely before was shattered into a thousand pieces that sprayed out in all directions.


	14. 13: The End of the Beginning

Hello everyone!! So sorry it took me so long to update. Too many midterms and essays to deal with _ But as a thanks for 1300 hits (!!!!) and to both mourn and celebrate the ending of Family Isn't Blood I drew a picture of Lyra and Tor'ka to the best of my abilities while lacking the majority of my art supplies as i had to leave them at home (Sadness). Anyway here is the link for it http:// sugarcoatedbullet(dot)deviantart(dot)com/art/Lyra-And-Tor-ka-156402699 . Thank you to everyone who's stayed with me, and I have included the epilogue in this chapter which contains a preview of the sequel to this story which I have yet to name XD Enjoy and I luvs you all!!

* * *

**Chapter 13 – The End Of The Beginning**

"_It's weird...you know the end of something great is coming, but you want to hold on, for just one more second...just so it can hurt a little more." _- Anonymous

Juggernaut had hardly had time to dodge the flames that poured at him from Tor'ka's snarling lips. Susan had managed to retrieve her Quantonium; though she still couldn't return to her fifty-foot size she at least had her strength back. Link saluted Doc as he broke the cockroach's containment unit before lumbered as fast as he could over to the pile of rocks by the far wall that he knew had buried the love of his life.

"Lyra!" His call went unanswered as he pulled the larger rocks away.

He nodded to Susan as she came up beside him and used her strength to help pull the rocks away. With the two of them it didn't take long before they found a pale broken body lying limply beneath the dust.

"Oh no," Susan breathed sadly as they pulled the last of the rocks off of the blonde.

Lyra didn't move as the weight was lifted and blood pooled around her body and wove itself through her pale hair as it leaked from her wrist. Within moments Susan had ripped a large chunk of her shirt off and wrapped it around Lyra's wrist to stop her from bleeding anymore. Link flipped her over and brushed the dust of her face while Susan leaned in close and held Lyra's wrist.

"She's breathing," Susan sighed with relief. "And her pulse is weak but it's there. But we need to get her out of here and into Monger's care fast."

As if on cue Lyra's chest suddenly convulsed and she began to heave and cough as dust erupted from her lungs and she rolled onto her side in an attempt to curl into a ball and hide from the pain. Susan rubbed her back soothingly until she was sure the blonde had cleared her lungs.

"Lyra, are you okay?" It was a weak question for Susan to ask considering what Lyra had just been through but it was all she could think of for the moment. Lyra nodded her head rapidly as her throat was still too dry too form solid words. Susan nodded in return. "Good. You know, that was a very brave thing you did," Susan told her as Link helped her sit up.

Link cast a smirk at the two of them. "Really? Because I remember hearing Doc say once that bravery was akin to stupidity or something like that."

"Yeah," Lyra choked out with a creaking voice. "I think I'd have to agree. Right now it doesn't like such a good idea anymore."

Susan gave Link a look that basically said 'you're an idiot' before she said to Lyra, "Well as a grateful person I would call that brave."

"Thanks," Lyra replied though her voice was laced with sarcasm. She felt like crawling into a hole and dying and never ever ever coming out again. Everything hurt in so many different ways and a little voice in the back of her head couldn't believe what she had just done. And to make matters perfect she had no idea where her sword had gone leaving her completely unarmed except for a tiny like pocket knife in her boot. Maybe if she was lucky she could use it to poke him into submission and then annoy him to death.

"We're going to get you out of here," Susan told her and she took the blonde's shoulder to help her stand up.

Lyra roughly shrugged it away and glowered at Susan. "Not a chance. I've been through hell and back to get here, you guys aren't kicking me out now." She realised how harsh she must looked and she forced a lopsided smile onto her face. "I want to help."

Link ruffled her hair earned him a wide eyed look and blush frown Lyra. "Well I know you're too stubborn to leave anyway, so you can help by keeping out of the way so you don't get yourself hurt again. Think you can do that?"

"Yeah, I think I can," she replied quietly. "But if things look bad I'm jumping in." She said the last part half heartedly in an attempt to save face but she knew she was in no condition to fight.

Susan nodded accepting that that was the best answer she would get and started her way towards Doc and B.O.B who were standing safely behind Tor'ka while the great dragon continued to pour flames onto Juggernaut in an attempt to keep him in place. Link stood up and was about to walk away when Lyra grabbed his wrist.

"Link wait," she pleaded. "Before you go...I just have to say sorry Link."

"You're sorry?" he was taken aback. He expected to be the first to say sorry; what did she even have to apologise for?

"Yes...if...if I were better at controlling my temper then maybe we'd be better off than before. I just, wanted to let you know I sorry for putting you through this...you know in case...one of us doesn't come back."

He flashed her a large smirk. "Well I've gotta come back, I need to do this again." Before she had time to ask 'what' he leaned forward and quickly but firmly pressed his lips to hers. Her eyes widened in surprise and her face turned red as he pulled away with that same grin plastered on his face. He then turned and lumbered away leaving her completely speechless just staring after him. She had never felt so confused in her life. Hadn't he insulted her feelings right to her face? But now...

A small smile curved itself across her lips. It didn't matter anymore. What mattered is apparently he felt the same way now...and she'd just have to focus on that. She didn't want to think about the confusion and the mixed feelings because she knew it would only frustrate her until she got furious. She didn't want to let that happen anymore. Not after seeing what it had done to Juggernaut.

She groaned and stood up using all the energy she could. Juggernaut. She looked over to the group and saw that Tor'ka still created such a barrier that the others couldn't imagine getting past him. Somehow she doubted that this fire was doing anything. Juggernaut had probably just hidden somewhere and was waiting to attack the moment the flames stopped. Her breath hitched at a sudden thought; why hadn't he just used the ground to attack them yet? Surely he could still move it from wherever he hid. Perhaps he needed complete concentration for it? She didn't want to take any chances.

"Doc!" Lyra's voice barely sounded over the dragon's roaring but the cockroach skittered over as fast as he could while she ran to meet him.

She collapsed against the mutated man gasping for breath before looking up at him. "You can't stop him."

"But my dear we must!," Doc protested. "He's a terrible man!"

She shook her head. "No you don't understand. You _can't_ stop him. Don't you think that is we could have stopped him he would've won already?" Doc seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding in agreement. "But I've got an idea..."

"I'm listening."

She nodded towards the glass containers where they had just been held. "B.O.B's...it's still intact. If we can find some way to use his own unit against him...we can capture him..."

"And then what? We can't just leave him like that."

"Then Monger will know what to do," Lyra told him firmly. Monger had captured a 300 foot tall mutated bug so she knew that he'd know what to do with Juggernaut.

"Alright," Doc agreed. 'Well I think I know exactly what to do to make this work."

Lyra let out a harsh laugh. "Good because that's as far as a I got."

"My dear why don't you go with Susan and take Insecto back to Monger." She was about to protest leaving when he hushed her with more words. "You can come back afterwards I'm sure it won't take you very long."

She bit her lip and nodded at him and he helped her walk over to Susan. "Susan my dear, I need you to take Lyra to Insecto and fly back to Area 51 and get Monger to come back here."

Susan hesitated but then finally nodded her head in agreement. "Alright Doc, take care."

She placed a soft kiss on him which he eagerly met before her and Lyra began to make their way towards one of the many tunnels they hoped led to the exit. They heard a howl of fury suddenly erupt from Juggernaut as he launched himself through the flames towards them. Susan thrust Lyra behind her protectively and braced herself to throw the raging mutant away from them. However he never made it that close. Link tackled him in the side and both of them went tumbling to the ground.

"Hurry!" Link yelled at them.

Susan grabbed Lyra's wrist and they ran as fast as Lyra could manage through the nearest tunnel.

"I know you're weak right now Lyra but we can't slow down," Susan yelled back at her.

"Take a right," Lyra snapped back half heartedly. Susan was right but her own weakness still upset her.

"How do you know?" Susan asked as she took the right turn that Lyra told her to.

Lyra shrugged. "You live in the jungle for long enough and you learn things. It smells fresher over here, I can feel a slight draft too."

Susan couldn't smell or feel any of this but she trusted Lyra's instincts in this situation. She glanced back at the blonde who continued to choke out directions and her heart fell. She was incredibly pale from too much blood loss and trauma but she knew they couldn't risk slowing down in case Juggernaut was hot on their heels.

"I'm sure we're almost there," Susan promised her hoping to keep the girl's spirits up.

Unfortunately it was a terrible lie. By the time they reached the surface Lyra was as white and pale as a ghost and was perspiring terribly. She looked as if she might collapse at any moment. Insecto let out a worried below from her place in the ocean and Susan turned the dial on her belt in order to grow back to her preferred size. Without waiting she scooped Lyra up in her hands and ran over to meet Insecto.

"We have to hurry back to Monger," Susan explained as she climbed expertly through the giant insect's fur. "I'll explain on the way."

Lyra looked up at her with tired eyes as her head lolled back and forth. She was so tired...it wouldn't hurt to sleep for a while. She let her head fall against the softness of Susan's palm as she closed her eyes. She scrunched her face slightly in frustration as Susan's voice pierced her thoughts with slurred and mumbled words. Her mind slowly drowned them out and the sleep she had been craving so dearly finally took over her.

~~~*~~~

Lyra slowly felt herself coming to as a pale light forced her eyes open. She blinked a couple of times; the light felt so foreign to her.

"Lyra...hunny?"

"Dad?" Her voice was hoarse from being unused and she glanced around. She didn't recognise where she was but her eyes finally fell onto the unshaven man in the corner. She was in a dead white room with no windows and a blinding white light attached to the ceiling. She was lying in something similar to a hospital bed with uncomfortable white sheet draped over her. The room itself was fairly small so the chair her father rested in wasn't too far from her.

He reached out and took her hand softly in his own. "I'm so happy you're awake. You've been out for almost two days now."

"What?" She looked at him confused but wrapped her fingers gently are his hand relishing the feeling.

"By the time you and Susan got back here you had already passed out. Monger assigned a couple of doctors to you before flying back with Susan to the island. They did what they could for your hand but I'm sure it'll take some getting used to."

"My hand?" There was no way they could have recovered her hand from the inside of the island as it was literally inside a piece of the island now. She slowly and apprehensively pulled down the sheets slightly as she lifted her hand up and her jaw dropped at the sight. In place of her hand was a silver cybernetic one. The separate pieces and wires weren't hidden in the slightest and she watched as the joints twitched slightly as she thought of moving them. The polished chrome winked back at her as the light glinted off of it and with wide eyes she apprehensively flexed her fingers. They silently and smoothly moved as in they were her real fingers. She blinked rapidly in disbelief before looking over to her father as if he could explain it. It was then that she got a good look at him. He hadn't shaved in a while; the scruff that coated the bottom of his face proved this. His eyes were red and swollen and he looked unbelievably tired.

"Have you...how long have you been here?" You squeezed his hand tightly knowing that she wouldn't get the answer she was hoping for.

"Since they brought you back," he admitted. "You're my daughter...I was so afraid I'd lose you again..." The tears he had been trying so hard to hold back finally spilled down his cheeks. He bent over her on the bed and couldn't help but sob against her helplessly.

Lyra felt her eyes brimming as she watched him and she wrapped her arms around his back in comfort. How could he care so much after she had said such hurtful things to him the last time she had seen him? She just didn't understand.

"Father...I...I'm sorry," she whispered. "The things I said...I didn't mean them. I'm so sorry."

"I know," he sniffled. He sat up and pulled her against him into the tightest hug he could muster. He choked out a laugh. "You don't understand what being a parent means at all. It's all unconditional..."

She nodded rapidly into his shoulder unable to muster any of the courage to say anything. They sat there like that for a moment just attempting to comfort each other before her father finally released her so that he could wipe his tears away onto his sleeve. "I'm sure Monger will want to hear that you're awake. I should go tell him."

"That's alright Dad," she said placed a hand on his shoulder as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. "I would like to talk to him anyway."

"Are you sure you're feeling okay? I don't want you to exert yourself."

She shook her head and offered him a small awkward smile. "I don't want to sit in bed. I promise not to do anything terrible."

Lyra slowly stood up as to not make herself dizzy; she knew she would still be terribly weak and pale. She just noticed that she was still in her normal clothes rather than the hospital gown that should've been put on her. Apparently the doctors had been more concerned with fixing her hand than anything and hadn't bothered to dress any of her other wounds. She was just happy now that she was fortunate enough that nothing was broken. She patted her father on back as she slowly passed by him and declined his offer to walk with her. Her hand ran along the wall as she walked at the fastest pace she could muster down the hallway. She needed to ask Monger what had happened with Juggernaut and everyone. What had happened with Link...

Lyra made her way towards the common room knowing that she'd have to get through there to make it to Monger's office. As she walked she rubbed her new hand hesitantly through her hair and was surprised to discover that it had nerve receptors allowing her to feel her strands of now painfully short hair. It barely brushed the nape of her neck and there were a few longer strands hanging by her face that hadn't been cut during her moment of crazed heroics. She grinned as she entered the room when she saw Monger talking with Susan who was still in her giant form was kneeling in front of him. The two looked over when they saw movement and both looked terribly startled to see Lyra standing there.

"Well lookit you little missy," Monger howled as he grinned proudly at her. "What're ya doin' up and about?"

"I was looking for you," she answered honestly. "James said it would be a good idea to tell you that I was up. He was going to but I wanted to myself."

Susan smiled at her. "Well I'm glad you did, it's nice to know that you're feeling better. I was worried about you."

"Thanks," Lyra responded as she strode up to them. "So where is everyone?"

"Figured you woulda wanted to stay in bed," Monger said as he ruffled her hair. "How's that hand treatin' you?"

Lyra's brow furrowed in frustration and she turned her gaze to Susan and redirected her question. "Where is everyone?"

Susan forced an awkward grin. "You know you have a lot more colour than I thought you would. You're very lucky you-"

"SHUT UP!!!" The outburst poured from her fuelled by everything she had pent up. "What is wrong with you guys! Now one of you better answer me and tell me where my family is or I swear to god I will-"

"WHY ARE WE YELLING?!"

Lyra turned to the side and saw B.O.B making his way into the room with a big grin on his blue face followed by a lumbering black dragon wearing a broad toothy grin.

Her eyes went wide and turned to look back at Susan and Monger who were grinning madly. "I'm sorry," Susan said with a few giggles as she held up her hands in mock defence. "I couldn't resist playing along!"

"Oh my god," Lyra said in disbelief as she shot a terrible glare at Monger knowing that must have meant that he had started this. "You people are absolutely terrible!"

Susan grinned happily and scooped the blonde up to pressed her against her cheek. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Yeah no I'm fine except for the fact that I nearly died of a heart attack!" Despite her words Lyra hugged the giant's cheek anyway.

Susan placed her back on the ground and without a moment's hesitation she ran to Tor'ka not caring how much energy she was using. He let out a low bellow of happiness and bent his head so that she could easily wrap her arms around it. She held on tightly and he nuzzled her gently before she finally let go and looked at him happily.

"I am very happy to see that you are well Little Lyra," he said quietly. "That was a very brave act you performed; I am so proud of you."

"Thank you...Thank you Tor'ka," she replied in a small voice as she straightened up slightly as if to show she was worthy of his praise. "So...how did everything go?" Was it worth it?

"Well little missy," Monger started even though she hadn't been talking to him. "After we got you into the mediroom me an' Gianormica headed back to the island with a few reinforcements. By the time we got there everyone was already on the surface and Juggernaut was contained."

Lyra's face broadened into a huge grin. They had won! It had worked!

Susan smiled. "It was amazing! Doc had made one of the units into a modified container and hooked up the gas pump to it and made it portable. Once they were able to trick him into jumping at Link and then having him land it there instead they just closed it and turned the gas on and he was too dulled to try at get out."

"Where is he now?"

Monger fielded that question. "We have a special room here just for him. The whole area is coated with an electric pulse barrier that keeps him from touching the walls much less going through them. We figure the best thing to do is to keep him here."

"That's great," Lyra said as she breathed a sigh of relief. "And...everyone is fine?"

"They all got their share of war bruises if that's what you mean missy but they're all good'n here." He grinned at her in his friendly lopsided way.

She smiled back. "Thank you General," she said with a mock salute before she started her way towards where all the rooms were. There were still a few missing from her family that she needed to see. As she walked into the hall she was met with the face of Doctor Cockroach as she almost walked directly into him. She jumped back startled with a small yelp and he smiled kindly at her before placing a hand on her shoulder to steady her.

"I am glad to see that you are well my dear," he said.

"Thank you," Lyra replied. "I heard about the machine you built, amazing!"

He smiled and puffed his chest out proudly. "Yes well as much as I'd love to take credit for the whole thing I must say I couldn't have done it without your ideas. Now, shouldn't you be getting some sleep my dear? I doubt you're feeling one hundred percent better already, in fact I'd say you still look quite pale."

"I know," she admitted. "I'm still feeling really tired but I wanted to see everyone. And besides I'm sure I'll sleep a lot better in my own room with Tor'ka."

"Alright then." His hand fell from her shoulder and he nodded his goodbye to her. "I hope you don't mind but I need to continue, I was on my way to speak with Monger about something very important."

"See you Doc."

They continued their way past each other and before long she stopped in front of the large metal back door of a giant fish tank. He had to be inside. If he wasn't she didn't have any idea what she would do. Lyra moved her fist to knock but stopped short. What if he had only kissed her because....no! She shook her head rapidly as if doing so would shake the thoughts from her head. She didn't want to think of that. She couldn't think of that. She refused to see him again if she was just going to be apprehensive. Letting out a terribly large sigh she wished she had spoken more to Tor'ka about this before she came here; it would've been great to have a small pep talk before this. Sucking in her breath she knocked on the wall before leaning her back against the cold metal. She was so lost in her thoughts she never heard the hatch open at the top or the startled uttering of her name. She was too busy trying to plan out what she would say and do in her mind so she wasn't taken by surprise. That plan failed almost instantly.

"Lyra!" Link leapt from the roof of his unit and landed squarely in front of her eliciting a startled scream from her. "You're awake!"

There was a large scratch from the bottom his ear that ran down his neck to the center of his chest. It was healing fairly nicely and Lyra couldn't help but think it made him look rugged.

"Link," she blurted out. Nothing followed. All her mental planning and suddenly her mind was a blank slate. Her mind whirred in a blur back and forth between memories. Of what he had said before when she had first confessed her feelings and then of what he had said on the island. She couldn't decide what to believe and before she could stop herself the one question on her mind slipped from her tongue. "Have you really changed your mind?"

"Not so much," he said honestly with a shrug. Her breath hitched in her throat and she felt like she would break either along with her heart or because her fury threatened to be too much for her. He grinned broadly at her when he saw her face turning red. "Just sorta realised only an idiot would pretend he didn't love a girl like you."

"What?!" She couldn't help but holler. "You mean the entire time you....You!!" Pretend?! He had loved her back the whole time? She wasn't sure whether she should jump for joy or bludgeon some serious sense into him. Luckily Link took care of what she was going to do. He roughly pulled her face to meet his and she momentarily lost her balance falling against him. The kiss lasted merely a moment but it wasn't meant to be intimate. It was more of a kind of punctuation to Link's sentence and a test of her reaction. He pulled away and as she regained her footing he stared at her waiting for an answer. Her face remained blank for a moment before her face scrunched and she tilted her head in confusion.

"I always thought the last kiss before the happy ending was supposed to last a lot longer than that," she said smugly before her face cracked into a large grin.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Who said anything about that being the last?"

He leaned in and this time she greeted him eagerly as she wrapped her arms as well as she could around him and moved her mouth against his large lips.

~~~*~~~

**EPILOGUE – 2 years later**

"Come back here you little gremlin!" Lyra let out another cry of rage as she dove at the little half breed and skidded to the ground in failure.

The little child giggled and ran off at an incredible speed; something he got from his father. She'd never get over that.

"Susan you are forbidden to have any more children," Lyra hissed as she forced herself up dusted off her knees.

Susan smiled kindly and Lyra. "Oh give Bryce a break Lyra he's only one."

Lyra glared at her. "Most normal one year olds don't move like that and I doubt they're evil little thieves."

Susan, Lyra and Link were in the common room with Insectosaurous. Lyra's hair had grown out and was almost back to its normal length and she had finally taken to wearing some of Susan's better looking clothes since hers were nearly destroyed. Link seemed to enjoy how much better they made her look. James and Tor'ka were finally getting along fairly well and had taken up the hobby of teasing Lyra as often as humanly possible. It wasn't very long after they had captured Juggernaut that Susan announced she was pregnant. Lyra was slightly bothered at the idea but decided it was best not to question it too much. She just figured since they were both pure human once it made sense. Luckily her and Link weren't close enough of species to have offspring which Susan kept laughing at before always reminding her that she was lucky or she would have a hundred of her own kids by now. Lyra always cringed at the idea; she didn't have the patience for children. Susan's child was enough of a headache. Bryce Marthose Murphey was the perfect combination of his parents. He looked human enough except for the unnatural sheen that his skin had to it due to taking after his father's exoskeleton and his disproportionately large eyes. His eyes were his mother's bright blue and his hair was the rich brown that was her natural colour. He had Doc's speed and they had found out a little while ago that he was able to climb up walls as well. He had also acquired a bit of his Susan's Quantonium which made him stronger than most of the residents of Area 51 and made him grow faster than a regular child; he already looked as if he were almost four. And Lyra couldn't handle his energy.

"What did he take from you?" Susan tilted her head as Bryce peered out from behind her.

"He took my necklace! The one that Link gave me! The little jerk pulled it right off my neck I'm afraid he's going to eat it!"

After still being in love for a year Link had done something special for her. He had 'attempted' to eat like a gentleman so that he could take a few bones from the fish he was served. After he had gotten enough he got Doc to help him turn the bones into a charm that he put onto a flimsy wire from one of Doc's old inventions. It was shaped like a small heart that had Lyra's name carved in one side and his own in the other. He could be sweet when he really wanted to and she had bugged him for quite awhile about the discovery of his softer side. It was her most prized possession and she only took it off in her own room.

Susan turned back to look at her son. "Hunny did you take your Auntie Lyra's necklace?"

He looked guiltily down at his clenched fist which Lyra knew held the necklace before looking back up at his mom and shaking his head in denial. Lyra bristled in fury and knew the only thing that stopped her from launching herself at the child was a pair of large strong hands that rested themselves intimately on her hips.

"Relax babe," Link said quietly into her neck.

She released a heavy sigh and leaned back against him relishing the feel and warmth of him. She didn't think she'd ever stop smiling at the fact that she fell in love with a fish man of all people. She settled for sending death glares at the annoying child while she enjoyed the feel of his hands running discreetly across her sides. That was until Bryce looked directly at her and licked the object in his hand before letting a big grin spread across his face.

"Why you little!" She launched herself out of Link's grasp and after Bryce who let out a laugh and skittered off.

She chased after him barely able to keep up but able to keep him in sight because she was fuelled by her fury. Blinded by it she didn't even see where they had been going until she saw him stopped ahead of her. Without thinking she snatched her necklace from his hands and when he barely flinched she froze. She felt like saw was being watched. She turned to follow Bryce's gaze and quickly thrust the child towards where they had just run from.

"Bryce Hunny, listen to Auntie. Go back to your Mommy," she told him quickly.

For once the child nodded and complied without argument. Lyra turned to fully face the set of eyes that was watching her as she tied the necklace around her again.

"So this is where they put you," she said quietly.

Juggernaut smiled at her from behind the single clear wall of his prison. "Lyra...It's so wonderful to see you again. I've missed you."

Her and Bryce must have ran incredibly far into the depths of the complex. She glanced around for guards but found that in this hall there were only cameras on the wall.

"Monger won't post any men here," Juggernaut told her as he strode up to the clear wall and pressed a hand to the glass. "He's afraid of what would happen to them if I ever broke free."

Lyra frowned. She doubted that was Monger's reasoning. Juggernaut was a smooth talker and Monger probably took out the human factor to avoid the risk that Juggernaut might be able to trick someone and talk his way out of prison.

His eyes darted down to her hands. "I like what they've done to your hand."

She clenched it subconsciously and glared at him. Two years and they'd never been told where he had been put; no one had gone looking for him either. Of course it would be her that would find him.

His grin turned malicious. "Does Link like your hand? Or does it bother him? Does it bother him that it feels cold and hard as opposed to the rest of you?" Her body went rigid and her glare could've killed him. "I would love enjoy every piece of you if I could Lyra. Even your hand. You've got strength in your eyes now. I did that to you. I made you into what you are."

"Good bye Dmitri," she hissed out as she spun on her heel and stormed back the way she came. She did all she could not to run from him; at that moment anyway. The minute she was sure that he couldn't see her she ran. She ran as fast as her feet would carry her until it felt like her legs would break and she found herself in familiar territory again. She found her way back to the common room from there and saw Bryce sitting on his mother's lap. Doc had apparently entered the room at some point and was talking with Link over by the tables. Still shaken from her encounter she made her way over to Link who greeted her with a large smile. She didn't want to...but she couldn't help but wonder about what Juggernaut had said. So when she reached him she smiled and placed both hands on his shoulders. Her smile got bigger when he didn't flinch in the slightest.

"I got it back," she told him sweetly.

"I was hoping you'd be able to get the best of a toddler or I'd start to wonder about you," Link told her jokingly.

She stuck her tongue out at him and Doc only smiled and rolled his eyes at the relationship his friends shared. It was then that Monger entered the room.

"Monsters let's get 'er in gear we've got a problem," he said as he made his way towards them carrying an abnormally large briefcase. He was followed closely but Tor'ka and B.O.B who crowded around the table with everyone else. He placed the briefcase on the table and opened it to reveal a television screen on the top part with a few buttons on the lower half; it looked somewhat like a very primitive version of a computer. "This footage was taken just under a week ago and there have been several similar incidents since."

He pushed one of the buttons and the screen flashed to life. Lyra instantly gripped onto Link's hand for comfort and tossed a look of surprise and worry at Tor'ka. The poor dragon's mouth hung open and he looked absolutely livid. On the screen flashing before them were dragons. Ones of every shape size and color, and all of them were pouring flames onto all the people in the town below them. Buildings were burning, children were crying. One of the dragons landed and flexed its wings while roaring in fury at the people who were screaming in terror. Another dragon flew past and hovered close to the other. He uttered something in terrible gargling noises before they flew off together. Monger shut off the monitor at that point.

"They're making their way across Africa," he told them. "They've gotta be stopped before they kill anymore. We're giving you guys one chance to go in and reason with them. We're hoping with Dragon here we might have a chance. If not then we're going in with every weapon we can find."

Lyra finally released Link's hand and placed a comforting hand on Tor'ka's side. "Tor'ka...are you alright?"

It took him a moment to snap out of his trance before her turned to look at her. "Dragons only learned English when we started living near humans as it was their native tongue. However before that we had our own language. That's what that one dragon was speaking."

"Well what did it say Dragon," Monger demanded.

Tor'ka hesitated, his throat dry. "He said...'Come Lin'ara we need to hurry'."

Lyra's eyes widened and her hand fell from his side. "Lin'ara? You mean...like your daughter?"

* * *

And that is the end of Family Isn't Blood!! Keep an eye out for its lovely sequel if that ending interests you! More Tor'ka, more love, and I can promise you Juggernaut will not be forgotten! Thank you everyone!!


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